A Coder's Desire to be Heard

so does an armoured truck deliver the currency to your house after you buy it

2012-01-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

One of the most annoying things about Forex trading is trying to describe your job to people. I cannot recall how many times I have tried to explain how Forex works to people I meet. Even some of my close friends simply do not understand what Forex is all about. And it doesn’t help that Forex has a reputation for being a shady business akin to online poker.

A few nights ago, I was having a conversation with a girl I met. The conversation went a little like this.

Her: So what do you do for a living?
Me: I trade the Forex market.
Her: Oh what’s that?
Me: It is basically foreign currency exchange. I invest in Foreign currencies and earn money as they move up or down.
Her: Oh, so you sit at the airport and change money at the currency exchange kiosk as the rates change?
Me: No I trade on-line. I buy and sell currencies on-line.
Her: Right, so does an armoured truck deliver the currency to your house after you buy it?
Me: No, no. Think about it as the stock market but instead of investing in stocks you invest in currencies.
Her: Ohh ok I heard about that. Isn’t that a work from home scam? I didn’t think it was a real job.

This might seem like a rare conversation but it isn’t. I get this kind of stuff all the time. Even from family and friends. Some of them think I make my money gambling. I almost feel like an idiot for not being able to properly explain what Forex is and how it all works.

I used to think trading was tough. It is much tougher trying to explain what trading is to people you meet. This is a lonely business. (May I just go back to writing code!)

When do we actually give up our dreams and aspirations?

2012-01-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

When we are young, we have all sorts of dreams. Some dreams are really stupid and others are real. Real in a sense that they can be achieved; others so stupid that as adults when we look back, we just laugh at how silly such dreams are now that we are much older.

I also know that as we grow, the dreams and aspirations keep changing. But not all change. In fact we seem to add onto those that we had from the time we were little. And as we look back on our lives, we realize that some dreams never change. As we grow they become clearer. They influence what we decide to do with our lives. What kind of places we decide to stay in, what kind of company we keep, how we spend our free time and what kind of life we finally live.

I have some dreams that I have been chasing from the time I was little. Then as a little kid, they were vague, but as I grew, the path became more clear and visible. I have been treading that path. Down the valleys and through bends, mist, fog and at times muddy ugly paths but with the hope that I will arrive at the other side and achieve my dreams.

Just tread the path.

But every time I take a bend, hoping to see the other side, I only find yet another bend and the path continues. Every time I ascend a particular top, normally after a long struggle, hoping that I have now arrived, only to find yet another top higher and steeper than the previous one. Basically, the path to my dreams and aspirations though clear keeps getting tougher and longer than I expected. As much as I have covered much distance, I still have not arrived. The only confidence that keeps me going is the truth of knowing that I am closer today than I was yesterday.

The fear and ugly fact is that our life span is limited. It is obvious that at the age of 60 years and above, I will not have the strength and energy to climb any steep hills in pursuit of my dreams and aspirations. As I mentioned before, the path is clear and visible but it’s just not taking me to the summit. I don’t believe in short cuts. I will keep on the path. But until when?

So when do people realize that the dreams they are following, the dreams that made them change their lives, the dreams that made them tread a particular path cannot be achieved. When do they stop chasing the dream? Is it when they cannot chase it any longer?? Is it when they lose interest? Is it when they finally collapse along the path?? Or could it be a combination of all.

In my search for answers, I finally came to the conclusion that the path is the dream. The summit is the targets that we set out to archive. And as long as we don’t set visible targets, we shall continue treading that path, ascending summit after summit yet arriving at no summit. For us to achieve the targets, we must keep treading the path that we chose. And on that particular path, set tangible targets that we shall ascend or achieve as we tread.

When my time finally comes, when I cannot chase the dream any further, when I cannot follow my destined path, then I will look back at the targets along the path that I hit, those that I missed and sigh a sigh of relief, well knowing that I have lived my dream, I stayed on the path despite the fact that I will not have completed it.

So when do we actually give up our dreams and aspirations? I believe it’s when we give up on treading the chosen path. When we alter our beliefs; when we discard the destined course; then we have actually given up on our dreams and aspirations. Let’s always remember that the path is the dream and the targets along that path are some of our aspirations. And each target achieved is a summit. There is never a time when we shall achieve all our dreams. Just tread the path. The path is the dream.

Culture unearthed at Igongo Culture Centre

2011-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a great traveller. In fact, I always love to travel. I always carry a book to read on the journey. However, when I am the one driving, it’s a little different. I prefer to drive with people and since I cannot read while driving, then having a great conversation along the way is good enough. As always, the radio or music will fill up those moments when there is nothing to be said.
But there are those journeys, especially the return journeys where I find myself driving alone. Such journeys are so boring and to avoid the boredom, I always stop along the way to have a break, take a bite and at times even check my email.

This recent return journey from Christmas 2011, I was lucky to pick up a friend along the way – I was delighted for at least, I would not be all alone. You know even if the person is sleeping as you are driving, you feel comfortable that the person is there.

Igongo Culture Centre Sign Post near the parking lot

We decided to stop over at the Igongo Culture Centre to have lunch. It’s located in Mbarara – Western Uganda. I never expected what I found. The place is well equipped with most of the traditional items that our grandparents used. But that is not all. The staff has been trained to explain what each item is, when it was used, what it was used for, how it was used and why particular people used it and others did not.

Each item is labeled with its name and each item is classified in its own category. Fishing items are grouped together; cooking items are grouped together, farming items are grouped together and so are all other items.

A clay model to depict a traditional agriculturalist homestead (notice the hills in the background?)

A clay model depicting the home of a traditional herdsman - notice the milk gourds? just incredible!

But that is not all; there is a write-up on all items describing what they are, who used them, when they were used, why they were used and how they were used. The most amazing thing is that the write-up is both in English and vernacular and at times, they use images to show how a particular product was created or used. They elaborate with images and clay models to complement the write-up. It’s just incredible how some of the clay models give you a real visual imagination of how our people lived. (Look at the clay models above)

And it’s not about only cultural items; they have all the bank notes that Uganda has ever used. From the cowrie shells through the Indian Rupees, the copper coins to the present day currency that we use.
They show fashion of our people. And as mentioned before, they complement it with clay models to show how a young lady dressed those days to the present day. They reproduce the way houses have evolved from mere grass patched up on a tree to the present day houses.

Admiring one of the items - milk gourd inside the cultural village

The inside of a herdsman's hut - this is a real hut within the cultural village at the center

Then there is the cultural village. Here they reproduce in reality the setting of the traditional herdsman home complete with real milk gourds, calabashes, hides and skins, fire places and all. (refer to images above)

Inside the hut of a traditional agriculturalist - the grinding stone is used to make millet flour - notice the millet?

They also have a section for the traditional agriculturalist, complete with grinding stones, millet, flour and farming tools.

Cooking Utensils in the home of a traditional agriculturalist

Having a feel of the traditional herdsman's hut.

They have clay models of the main historical figures such as the great warriors and the cow (Mayenje Gaishinju - shown below) that allegedly caused war between kingdoms.

There is a section about the tribes and clans of Uganda. I feel this needs to be developed further and the information updated but it’s a great start. They explain where the different tribes came from, where they are and who their founders are. Unfortunately some of the information in this section is not correct but I am sure it’s a great start and with time it will be edited.

A clay model of the the Great Cow (Mayenje Gaishinju) that allegedly caused war among kingdoms

The center has beautiful gardens, a very modern restaurant that serves tasty African foods coupled with European and Asian cuisines.

The entrance fee to the museum is 5,000 UGX per head (about 2 USD) and the food at the restaurant is 25,000 UGX (about 10 USD). The restaurant is honestly expensive for an average Ugandan but it’s not compulsory. One can always visit the center and skip the restaurant. They have a crafts shop that I found extremely expensive. Unless you are willing to donate, I advise you to skip it.

And like all good things, after one and half hours, we had to say bye bye and continue on our journey

All in all, I recommend people to visit the center and have a feel of how the culture has been unearthed. For my friends abroad (Like Luc and Sam - I know Luc reads this blog) when you do return, please do check it out.

DISCLAIMER: I never do adverts on this blog nor do I do reviews for a fee. This particular article is my own initiative and my own thoughts about this centre. The owners never paid me to write about the centre. These are my thoughts about the centre. Feel free to agree or disagree.

Christmas in my eyes

2011-12-18T01:04:00.000-08:00

C.R. Rwaheru (R.I.P)

I recall vividly what Christmas meant to me over the years. Maybe when I am older it will mean something else but Christmas has been changing in my eyes ever since I was a child.

I recall how I would fail to sleep on the eve of Christmas. Usually my parents bought for me and my siblings new clothes to wear on Christmas day.The new clothes would be shown to us on Christmas eve. That would spike a certain feeling of anxiety within me that even sleep would elude me.

At that time in my life, Christmas was about the new clothes and the food. Usually we would be two or more families at home - my parents would invite either a neighbour family or some relatives.We always had a full house. I never used to notice the people. For me as long as I got the new clothes, Christmas was perfect.

When I joined upper primary and lost interest in clothes, the food still made my Christmas. I would make sure that I ate a lot of food and took lots of soda. I could even go to the loo to empty my stomach and go to eat more food. At that time in my life, Christmas was about food and soda. The more food and soda I took, the better Christmas became.

During my secondary school days, I lost interest in Christmas. I had no interest in food any more. I saw Christmas as any other day. I even wondered why people celebrated it yet according to Christianity, Easter is more important than Christmas. I used to graze our cows on Christmas day. I would defiantly refuse to cut grass in advance so that I do graze them on Christmas day. At that time in my life, Christmas was basically empty. Nothing to look forward to.

After university, when I started working, Christmas again started having meaning. It was a time I got holidays to go home to see my mom (My dad, C.R.Rwaheru pictured above, passed on way back when I was at Uni - he got a stroke). At that time, Christmas meant seeing my mom and watching her make us feel special.Christmas was about spending each minute that I had of the holiday with her. And it sure made lots of sense.

Now with my mom also gone (its two years since she died - succumbed to diabetes), you may think Christmas is nothing to me again. Empty.No meaning. No. Actually I see Christmas as a time to prepare for something higher and a time to be with people. To be with family.

At this phase in my life, Christmas is about preparing for something higher than life. A time to share what we have - our time, laughter and our very presence with those that matter most to us - family and friends.

I do not mind if I get no new clothes. I do not care if the food is good or bad. I also know my parents will never be home for any other Christmas. Despite all that, Christmas still makes more sense now.

This is because my faith in God has improved greatly over the years. Now Christmas means preparing for something higher. Looking beyond the physical(food, clothes, soda, people) to something beyond life (Christ the New Born King). And preparing my own heart for this wonderful gift of Christmas to share it with people.

So this Christmas I will be driving home on Christmas eve (I know its a bit late but have to go). To be with my family and share this wonderful gift of Christmas.

I hope to listen to Christmas carols as I drive the long 8hr distance.Once there I, will decorate the tree and share this wonderful gift of Christmas with family and friends. For Christmas is a gift from above.
At this phase of my life, Christmas is about preparing for something higher than life. And sharing this very gift of Christmas with people.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Lots of Hugs
(((((((()))))))))

Oh how I love Mondays!

2011-12-04T21:01:00.001-08:00

With a cup of hot African coffee, my Monday starts

Monday is my favourite day of the week. On Sunday night, I always want to stay up late so that Monday does not find me sleep. I know it’s weird but I love the feeling of starting my work in the wee hours of the night.
When I was in corporate Uganda, I always wished for Fridays to come. I loved my weekends to the dot. Then it was only on weekends that I worked uninterrupted. Now, my Mondays rock. I guess all days are great but Monday has the feeling of freshness. It’s like a blank page that has not been written on. Clean and ironed. All one has to do is start working on it.

Now I no longer look forward to Fridays. They are a sign that the weekend is close. When Friday comes, I look forward to Sunday night for then Monday will be close. Oh how I love Mondays!

If you honestly don’t look forward to Mondays, I suggest that you reconsider what you do. Life has so many possibilities for you to be tired to looking forward to Friday and the weekend. For those like me that love Mondays, well what I can say – you know the feeling. Enjoy.

My online Forex Trading Strategies

2011-12-04T04:16:00.001-08:00

Many of you that read my blog know that I am a full time online forex trader. I have come a long away and learnt many a thing. In this article, I would like to share some of the strategies that I use and why I avoid certain things even if other traders use them. Most of these, I have come to learn through experience and I adopted them as my personal guidelines. They may or may not apply to all traders.

1.    Knowledge is power. Any trader must have the knowledge to know what drives the markets. Both fundamental and technical analysis but mostly fundamentals since fundamentals cause lots of action in the markets. I started out by learning technical analysis. It was much easier for me to analyze graphs, candle stick patterns and to read indicators (maybe this was because of my background having been a web applications developer). I never gave much attention to fundamentals. But I realized later that fundamentals shake the markets. Prices move when news comes out. Missing out on taking a trade during these price movements means that you will wait for the news to calm down and then you trade the noise. Be informed, know when the news is coming out, keep a trading journal and know which news moves the markets so that you are alert. Technical analysis is great too. However, fundamentals shake the markets and create big price movements that we traders are interested in. Know when the news alerts are expected and be ready to trade.

2.    Leverage: This is a double edged sword. The broker encourages you to have a higher leverage. Many are now offering 1:500 and others even offer 1:1000. The catch is that the more leverage you have, the more you will be able to hold more positions and hence the more spreads the brokers will earn. So the bigger your position, the bigger the spread income for your broker. Find reasonable leverage. I am still conservative and using 1:100

3.    Stop Loss - allow the trade to breathe. Never trade without a stop loss. Even if you are very sure that the trade will not reverse. I still insist that you trade with a stop loss. Avoid putting a very tight stop loss. Put a reasonable stop loss that does not expose too much of your account and yet allows the trade to breathe. Tight stop losses only benefit the broker. Before entering a trade, calculate how many pips are on the trade, calculate the loss you expect to incur should the trade not go accordingly and place the stop loss. Never adjust a stop loss to expose more of your account. Only adjust your stop loss to rock in more profit. But all in all, never trade without a stop loss and ensure that the stop loss allows the trade to breathe.

4.    Scalping. Many of my friends that have seen me trading know me as a super scalper. I am good at scalping but I have left it. Not that it does not work, no it does work. However, I believe identifying a trend and riding it till the end is a better way to trade. Why get out of a trade if it is still in profits?? I have realized the “Let you profits run mindset” is better than scalping. This will ensure that you will have fewer trades and all those trades will be profitable trades if you are with the trend. Identify a trend and ride it – don’t scalp. Move your stop loss to rock in more profit as you bank and ride the trend.

Trading is making decisions: Do not allow others to make your decisions. Either be the trader or let others trade for you but avoid relying on others to make decisions for you. So what do we call a trader that does not make any decision but allows or follows others to make those decisions? Trading is basically making a choice of when to enter a trade and when to exit. The reasons why you enter a trade are personal to your trading strategy and you should stick to it. If you are still learning, however, it is much advised that to follow your mentor until you reach a level where you are able to make your own choices.

5.    Trading Plans: There are so many indicators out there. Lots of them. There are so many candle stick patterns, so many trend line patterns, so many signal indicators and all. I have realized that you can never use all of them at once. However, if you find any that works for you, stick to it and test new ones while you stick to the one that works for you. Have a trading plan and stick to it. I used to chase trades when I had just started trading. I always wanted a trade to fit in my plan, if it failed, I would change the indicator to find one that suites it and then I would enter a trade. Avoid chasing trades. Let trades fall into your comfort zone – trading strategy then enter the trade. And by the way, “making money” is not a trading strategy. A good trading strategy must not contain more than 3 indicators.

6.    Entry and exit points: This may not apply to scalpers but why enter a trade to target only 20 points? If I find that I cannot make off 30 points on a trade, I just don’t take it. I let it pass and wait for a trade where I will make off at least 30 pips or more. Now for the exit, if you realize that a trade is going against you, get out of the trade. Why compound your damage while keeping in a losing trade. Losing trades will hold your equity, lower your margin and may never reverse in a long time. I have held positions for months and I can tell you it’s pathetic. You miss out on good trades simply because you are holding a losing trade hoping that it will correct. That’s why we have stop losses. Use them. On the other hand, why exit a winning trade simply because you are bored or want to relieve stress. A beach without sand is no beach at all. Trading without stress is no trading at all. If you don’t like sand, avoid the beach – likewise, if you cannot handle stress, just stop trading. I always keep my winning trades running but bank along the way.

7.    Intellectuals: I am no expert via banking and finance nor am I an expert in International business. I am not even an expert in economics. I am just a trader. However, I find it so weird when the financial experts tell you that a certain pair will go up or down based on the economics of a particular theory that was applied in such and such a time. All signs are there so the given pair will follow suite. Bullshit. Rarely does it happen. In fact, I have yet to see such theories come true in markets. Most of the great traders I know are ex-window cleaners, high school drop outs and teachers. I am yet to see PHD holders who are great traders. So basically, I suggest that we keep trading simple and to the basics. No need for theories and theses on why a pair went up last year and this year. Markets are driven by demand and supply. Period.

8.    Emotions versus robots: It is said that when emotions are high, reasoning is low. This is true also for markets. You will not trade well if you are emotionally unstable. You need to have your composure in balance. Plan your trades and follow your trading strategy. Prepare well enough. Having no trading strategy basically leaves you with just thoughts. Thoughts are emotions and trading based on emotions is a recipe for disaster. On the other hand, robots have no emotions and will enter for you trades and exit trades based on the programmed strategies. But recall, markets are moved by demand and supply and hence they are not random. Since they are not random, no robot will be programmed to function 100% in all market conditions. Some will do well in ranging markets; others will do well in trending markets. Only humans can do well in all market conditions. A robot is just software that places or exits a trade based on the programmed strategies without human input. I have used robots in the past. I will blog about that later. My take on robots is that none works in all market conditions. You need to know when to use it and when to disable it. The main reason is that markets are not random so robots cannot handle. Markets are driven by human choices not robots. Balance your emotions and face the markets well composed.

9.    Confidence: This only comes from having a trading strategy that you stick to. None gains confidence from losing trades. And if you happen to have a losing trade, close it out and look for another trade. It is just a trade. Why get married to a losing trade till it wipes out your account? Confidence only comes when you follow a trading plan and it produces results. Don’t hop from one strategy to another. Stick with one and test it for a good number of days if it does not work, throw it out and look for another till you get something that works for you. Only then will you have confidence in your trading. Confidence also involves accepting losses and knowing that there will always be another winning trade.

10.    Water and Paraffin. Have you ever realized that the AUD/USD is bullish and you decide to buy the EUR/USD based on the fact that since AUD/USD is bullish so must be EUR/USD. Well, I was a victim of that theory. I had no clue I was mixing water and paraffin. They just don’t mix. What makes the AUD/USD bullish does not necessary make the cable (GBP/USD) or EUR/USD bullish. They are independent pairs. Yes they may trend each other but don’t fall victim like I was when I had started trading. Follow your trading plan. And by the way, simply because EUR/USD is going up is not reason enough to buy. Find out why it’s going up and where it’s bound to stop. How long has it been going up? Is it a buy trend? Is it a news spike?

11.    Demos. Trading and making money off a demo is no guarantee that you have mastered trading. I believe demos only help people to get used to the trading platform, how to place trades, exit trades, add indicators and get familiar with charts. Once a person is familiar with the trading platform, one should then begin the journey of learning by opening up a live account and deposit real money.

12.    Don’t give up too easily. Your first trade for the day may be the worst. Don’t close and give up trading. All traders lose. Getting trades wrong is normal and should be expected. Look at the daily balance and weekly balance. I have a daily target and I use it. Once hit, I stop trading.

Investing. . . .

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-08:00

Many young people think about investing I have met a few who ask my views and what it takes to be an investor. Like many of them, when I started out a year ago, I made a couple of wrong decisions and I would like to share some of the things that I have learnt the hard way.

1. Time is the most powerful asset when it comes to investing
Like many young people, I believed that I would invest and break even after 3 months. Wrong. Investment is not gambling or winning a lottery. Investment takes time and you need to compound your profits before you start reaping big. You need to be prepared to invest for at least three solid years without getting a penny from the business venture that you have invested in. Even if you are doing forex – you need to build your capital base for at least 6 months.

2. Never use a loan to start your investment
We all believe in the theory of get a loan, start an investment; it picks up and pays back the loan. Wrong. That’s recipe for failure. The investment can never pick if you are ever removing the little profits it makes to pay rent, pay salaries, pay power bills and also pay your loan and its monthly interest. It will suffocate and die. If you are starting an investment, better save up enough money, or provide time so that you offer the service. Never get a loan to start a business or borrow money to start a business that you intend to pay back. I am sharing this from experience and I hope none makes the same mistake.

3. Avoid being tied to one business venture the way a shirt button goes in one hole! –Diversify
Look around all the investors that you know. It is just clear that they never invest in one business venture. They invest in many different ventures and spread their risk. Those of us that are in the stock market know how volatile it is. Who does not recall the recession of 2008?? So what happens if the same happens today?? Diversify. I am not saying that diversifying will stop the recession if it was to come. No. It’s just like having an umbrella when the rain pours. Even though the umbrella does not stop the rain, it enables one to walk in the rain with confidence. Likewise, diversifying will not stop the bad times, but it allows the investor to walk with confidence when the hard times hit – and they sure hit quite often.

4. Pay off your debts. Pay off your debts.
Yes, you have read it twice. Pay off your debts. I know many of us were told when growing up that everyone has debts. True. Everyone has debts. But investing has both sides – profit and loss. An investor not willing to suffer and accept loss is no investor at all. By investing, one accepts to make profit or a loss. What happens if the loss comes and you have debts to pay too?? Now you get it. Pay off your debts before investing.

5. Make sure you are insured
I am not really a fan of insurance but I believe in it. Any wise investor must be insured. It is like a boda boda (motor cycle) helmet, you may not need it most of the time, but when the need comes, you will be happy you had it on. Otherwise, you lose your life or get a permanent damage to your skull. Likewise, in investing, you need insurance just in case anything happens.

Avoid the path of least resistance; Humble beginnings

2011-10-16T20:03:00.000-07:00


From humble beginnings, JK slept on the floor for a couples of days

I rarelywrite about my friends. Today is an exception. I am going to share with youhere my friend’s story. Let’s call him JK.

Like manyof us, JK completed university. He is from an average home. Not really poor butagain not so stinking rich. I got to know him while he was still at universitydoing an IT course. I was already working and he was doing part time work inthe company that I worked for then. He was being paid peanuts – but he worked anywayand gave it his whole heart. He was sobasic in his knowledge of computing and computer systems but had this passionfor learning. He was never afraid to ask. I recall him asking me a lot ofthings – even those I thought he knew. And every time I would tell him that I expectedhim to know a thing he had asked, hewould reply and say, man, I just wanted to confirm – no room for errors on livesystems. And so he learnt. And he became good at computers and computersystems.

But that’s notthe story about him that I want to share with you. No. That is just thebackground. You see when JK completed university; he chose to leave home immediately.Unlike many graduates that stay home and first get some basics, JK decided toleave home immediately. He chose to go for humble beginnings and hence avoidedtaking the path of least resistance. On his tiny salary (approximately 5 USDper month – yes per month), he rented a room. He never took anything from his home except his clothes. Definitely on that tiny salary, he could not affordthe rent alone, so he got a friend whom I will call KK (I know I also use KK asmy initials for Kazooba Kaheru but I am not the KK in this story).

JK and KKstarted off with nothing. By the way, KK is from a traditionally rich family.Like JK, KK chose the humble beginnings too. Both JK and KK could have stayedhome and their families would have shelted them. Or they would have moved in withone of their older siblings as they wait to stabilize. But they chose to followtheir own star. They did not follow the path of least resistance. They chosethe road less travelled.

When Icompleted university in 2006, I could not afford rent. I stayed with my sister(May God Bless her) for almost 2 years. It is what most people do. But for JK,that was out. He rented and slept on the floor for a couple of days. This wasbecause after paying rent, the reminder of the salary was for purely food andtransport and hence could not afford a bed. Recall he could have stayed homewhere there was food, free shelter, free transport from his parents and definitelya bed. But he avoided that path of least resistance. He chose humble beginnings.

I recall ascenario where life got tough on these two friends of mine. One weekend foundthem too broke. They never had any food in the house and they were too broke.They sat down and thought of a solution. They decided to go down town inKampala city (Kiikubo) and carry goods for a fee. They carried goods for peoplein the market for a small fee for a whole day on an empty stomach. By the endof the day, they had earned enough money to buy them food. They never went tothe restaurant or fast foods to spend it. No. They went to the market, boughtraw food and went back to their rented house and cooked the food. That way,they saved lots of money and had enough food for the remaining days of themonth. Recall these are university graduates who decided to do odd jobs to getmoney for food. They could have gone back to their homes and had decent food;they could have called one of their friends to lend them money and they payback; they could have asked for an advance from their employers; they had manyoptions but they always avoided the path of least resistance. They faced their challengesin the face. In fact to avoid such a scenario happening again, JK opted to lookfor second job. He worked two jobs Monday to Monday – day and night to try andmake ends meet. He always had less than 4 hours of sleep. He did that until helanded a better job offer with an international NGO.

As I writethis blog, JK works for an international NGO and has completed his MScertification (by saving part of his salary to fund his education) and rentshis own apartment. His friend KK also rents a separate apartment.

I don’t knowhow the future is going to roll out for JK. But this I know for sure. He never takesthe path of least resistance.

Sleep is for the weak. Real men sleep at dawn.

2011-09-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

My friends have warned me how I will finally pay back. How I am destroying myself. That my actions will catch up with me. Apparently I am cheating nature. And my crime??? I spend many more hours awake at night than asleep.

Maybe its a risk I am willing to take. I just enjoy being awake when the world is asleep. But my friends have been telling me to stop the habit. I know I suck when I wake up tired every morning due to sleeping at dawn.

By the way, I don't consider myself a night person. I don't go out to bars or night clubs. I am awake reading either a book or a blog or writing a blog while I trade the Asian session in the forex markets with a cup of coffee. I always want to go to bed at 6:00AM and to be up two hours later. I definitely wake up tired every morning. That's what my friends consider a crime.

But how can one spend an entire night asleep in this day and age? When there is internet and the global markets are open. I always have pending books to read too. I have to complete reading “Trading in the Zone” and then embark on “Looking for Alaska” (Can’t wait for this one – might even start on it as soon as I get it even if it means reading both books simultaneously).

So my friends really don’t get it. They think I am cheating nature. They believe I will pay back. Maybe its the risk I am willing to take. Maybe one time in future I will blog about the effects of my actions. But being awake at this time (its 0343hrs as I type this blog) is just awesome.

I am also a strong believer in living a full life as compared to mere existing. And nothing makes me more alive than being awake at this time of the night. Despite the challenges that come with it – I am always tired in the morning or dozing but I am willing to brave that.

I don't recall where I read the phrases “Sleep is for the weak” and that “Real men sleep at dawn ” but those two phrases show you that I am not the only kind of person who believes in being up till dawn. I also think that if you are doing what you love, be it for money, or a hobby, you are always willing to go the extra mile for it – even if it means taking a risk.

And being the guy that loves risking, I am going to risk cheating nature, I will stay awake long hours at night as I trade, read a book, code, blog or even watch a movie.

And when my time of old age comes, I will definitely have lived a life – my friends will call it risking my life but I believe I will have lived, not merely existed. I will have had such a marvellous time reading a great book, watching a great movie, taking that winning trade (or at times losing trade that happens too), writing a blog e.t.c while the world slept on. I just wish my friends could understand that for some of us, the love for what we do is far much greater than the love for sleep.

I enjoy having conversations where nothing is said.

2011-09-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

My thoughts tend to sound better in books I didn’t write. At times I find that pictures and images do describe a moment in the most perfect way – shame I lost my camera so cannot take many great shots with my phone (will try and replace it soon).

While alone, I have everything written out, every sentence, every phrase, but again, they are only in my mind. You see, I wanted to be a writer. To describe in words the scenes that I see daily. To share them with those that did not see them or encounter them in such a perfect way that they could appreciate them. I am not near to being a writer. I cannot describe a scene perfectly at all.
I later realized that images tell it all. With no words, you can tell a story with images. I love taking pictures and I am still looking forward to taking my best shot. Someday, Somewhere, Sometime I will.

But again in my mind, in my thoughts, I see all clearly. I can describe it while silent. I can see it when I am alone and the world is still. That’s why I love being alone with my thoughts. I write lots of books in my mind. Every detail is mapped out. And it helps if the entire world is still and quiet too.

3AM is my favorite time of the day. I wish I could tell you why, but I really don’t know. I wish I could explain what it is about staying up late, but I don’t think that I could. I wish people would stop looking at me like that when I wake up tired at times in the morning. I wish I could sleep during the day and stay up all night—not because I want to miss out on anything, no, but because the night is quiet and still in the most perfect way— that’s stillness, that quietness, that silence when the entire world is quiet is my best time.

In my mind, I write books, in my mind, I map out everything, even this blog, I always write in the wee hours of the morning. I just cannot explain it and I have no right images to post or right words to use. But in my mind, I just know it.

I have never been a fan of crowds. I feel comfortable alone. I can be in a crowded place and still feel lonely – not that I don’t have many friends, I honestly have great friends but I can skip a party to be alone with my thoughts.
I enjoy having conversations where nothing is said. Where two people are together and just comfortable knowing the other is there but no words are said between them. Just enjoying the silence. Or both listening to music or reading a book but no conversation. I just cannot explain it any further. I wish I could.
And now that it’s past 5AM, the world is going to wake up, the peace and silence is going to be disrupted. I can go to sleep feeling happy now! ;D

Career Change

2011-08-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

From the time I completed university in June 2006, (its August 2011 as I write this Post), that is almost 5 years ago, I have been a coder – developing web based applications.

I am and will always be a coder. I will always develop applications for my personal use. However, developing applications as a source of income has come to an end. I enjoyed writing code. I spent sleepless nights while debugging. Celebrating when an application behaved as expected. It was really great then. Not anymore though. I no longer find that excitement in code. It has gone flat for me. It has gone dry.

I know many people have undergone through a career change for many reasons. I personally have just undergone a total career change. I am no longer a professional web developer. No. Never. But I will forever be a coder. Coding personal projects. So why do people go through a career change?? Below is what I believe causes career change.

1. Boredom: To some people, being in the same job, doing the same thing and seeing the same people for too long is just a bore. I definitely fall into this category and believe that a total career change can lead to a satisfying life. I always like to learn something new. To be challenged. To have something to wake up too. Once I master that particular skill, I kind of find myself bored and need to move on.

2. Midlife Crisis: You must have heard that phrase before. Mostly it refers to couples who have gotten married and after honeymoon they realize that the excitement has now ended and they again miss their olden days with the boys (for men) or with the girls (for the ladies). Other times, it occurs when couples get kids they have not prepared for well. The entire home becomes a mess. However, back to career change, some people realize that they are growing older and yet have done little. They decide to switch careers so as to do lots more.

3. Dissatisfaction with current employer: This can be through recognition or pay. This is quite obvious. Most people change careers due to this.

4. Lack of fulfillment: We all need to feel utilized and content. Whenever someone feels content, they tend to stay in their careers. Others feel something is missing. They need to be content and until they are, they keep changing careers.

I can give more reasons but the above are mainly the real ones. Others rotate around them. I needed a more challenging career. I needed a career that would blow off my mind. Humble me and keep me on my toes. I tried freelancing and it was great but it was still coding in a different fashion.

Finally I landed on online forex trading. Oh my God. I was blown. I was hooked. I realized I had to learn. The tasks were huge. The stakes were extremely high. But that was not all. Forex trading is the riskiest investment and is never an option for many investors. I knew there and then that I was in for a treat. When I signed up for trading, in my mind, I knew I had crossed the point of no return. I made coding my part time job and have been trading since December 2010.

I have learnt a lot along the way. I have met great minds. Read books and realized that while trading, discipline is paramount. I don’t believe I am going back soon. I am going to trade for some time – maybe until I get bored of it and then I will be on my way looking for another career. But I am content right now. Forex trading rocks.!!

Features that I consider a good hosting company should offer its clients

2011-05-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

I have been in the web business for about 5 years – since 2006. I was smuggled into web development when I joined one of Uganda’s oldest webhosting company – Uganda Home Pages. I joined as a web programmer. I must admit that it was there that I started the road into web development and I have never looked back. Now I run my own Web Development Company – Hosting Smiles (where we host only and only happy clients – anyone not happy with our service is free to go).

As a web developer, I have come to appreciate certain facilities that I believe and do encourage every web hosting company to have or provide for its clients. These facilities or tools as you may call them enable both the client and the web developer to manage the websites with ease. If your webhosting provider does not offer any of the below facilities, just move and get another provider – if you have no options, come to Hosting Smiles and we shall gladly add you to our list of happy clients.

1. Control Panel. The webhosting company should provide a control panel where the account owner will be able to manage all the aspects of the website from email management, file management, backups, databases and all. The control panel should be all conclusive. Advanced users should even be able to manage their custom php.ini settings, DNS records, create sub domains and mailing lists without involving the service provider. Some service providers provide a link to the database and maybe a link to the DNS records and that’s all.

2. Ability to zip and unzip files: Uploading files is not enough. A good hosting company should allow its clients to upload all kinds of files and allow them to manipulate the files once uploaded. Some hosting companies never allow their clients to unzip files. The client has to first call the service provider and ask them to unzip for them. And you know what? Most of these web hosting companies never work on weekends and on public holidays. So clients have to wait till the next working day to have a file unzipped. One wonders why they don’t subscribe to data centers so that the data centers provide 24/7 online support to their clients. I have logged onto many websites to ask for support only to be told that I have to wait for the next working day! Even the MTN 24 hour’s response time becomes a better offer.

3. Ability to install plugins/updates on the site: Nothing is so irritating like having no power to add a new plugin to your website simply because the webhosting account cannot allow installs from your CMS. A good webhosting company should allow its clients to install any plugins, modules, updates and any other application they need without the need of downloading the entire site first and then re-uploading it. Honestly if your webhosting company is still behaving like this, kindly move. Even when you get hacked, you will not be able to install a patch to fix the security hole!! That’s how bad it can get.

4. Ability to change DNS records: I have seen webhosting companies where a client cannot adjust their own DNS records. The client must inform the hosting company which then decides to change the DNS records. I believe that clients should have an option to manage their own DNS records – MX, CNAME etc.

5. One hour maximum response time: A webhosting company that does not respond to its clients requests within one hour is taking its clients for a ride. Having wrong information on the web for just a few seconds can cost you. Imagine having the wrong price of an item on the web for one hour – you will lose terribly. So ensure that your webhosting response time is maximum one hour – else move to a host than can guarantee you that.

In conclusion, you will notice that I have not mentioned a thing about price or location of servers. Being a liberalized economy, I believe the price will be set by forces of demand and supply. As for the location of servers, honestly, as long as the place has good internet link, am not bothered. You can host locally or abroad as long as the provider can offer 99% uptime.

Challenges in Freelancing,

2011-03-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have been quiet for some good time. I am back. And I am happy to share some of the challenges that have kept me down for this entire long. At least I can share them. The road has not been smooth. No. But who said it would be any? The challenges that I have encountered are below. My solutions may not for you but I will share them anyway. Feel free to comment and add your views.

1. Distractions
I happen to stay in a neighborhood that has other people. The children at times really make lots of noise as they run along while playing. I love kids so I am always happy when they shout and run around but being the introvert that I am, the noise and the movements always distract me. I love to work in a quiet environment. I always move to a café in town – we have many cafes that give a very conducive environment for fellows like me. Café Pap in town is one of them.

2. Easy lane kind of life – so people think
Some colleagues of mine think that freelancing is working half day and having fun the rest of the day. They believe I spend time watching movies and soaps. I don’t even watch TV let alone soaps. This is a challenge because friends and colleagues just call at any time and expect you to run an errand for them or keep you on the phone for long since for them, they think you are as free as they are. I have always informed them politely that I cannot do errands during certain hours of the day. I even tell others that I will call them back. Then there is chat!!!!!! Now due to my kind of work, I have to ensure that I am accessed - chat, mail, phone and even facebook (Not really a fan of facebook but still I have an account) but most people think that because someone is logged on onto chat, so they can talk about all fashion and politics. To some of us, chat, is a tool for accessing clients, getting feedback and troubleshooting – not for discussing daily trends in prices of beans and situations in Libya! Chat is still a challenge for me. I tend to chat with all but maybe will soon start shielding.

3. No Space for Meetings!!!!!!!!!

Having such a place for meeings is one of my biggest challenges

This one is really driving me nuts. How do you tell a client that you have no office?? That means you are a briefcase company and you don’t deserve to do any business with any serious company. When clients ask me where my office is, I always give them my home address. Truth is that I am a freelance developer working from home – but working hard to have office space – just for meetings and those times when I get distractions while working from my home. My home is more of an office than a home. As mentioned before, I always try to schedule meetings at the clients’ offices or in a restaurant that is desirable.

4. Professional Environment is missing
Well, at times I would love to ask a colleague what their opinion is about a product before I send it to the client and none is online. In a professional environment, someone would have a look at it before the client looks at it and makes comments. As a freelancer, you may develop and the client does not like it and gets a bad image of you. I have resorted to always letting the client know that I am more than willing to have the product changed so that it meets their needs.

5. Equipment – desk phones, inventers, routers – name it
Anyone living in Uganda today knows the agony of power cuts. The whole day you have no power. What does a freelancer like me do? I need to have an inverter, have a wireless link for my entire house and maybe a landline desk phone. But many of us cannot afford such equipment. We are just freelancers with a skill and a dream to make it BIG in this world. I have managed to overcome the power issue by getting a laptop that has at least 8 hrs of battery so even if power goes, I can work on my battery for a minimum of 5 hours before relocating to a café where I can get power. As for the wireless link, save for the days when my internet subscriber is down, my modem works wonders. However, I would still love to have a redundant link at home for backup. The desk phone?? My mobile is always on - +256 772 680 158 – try it and see!

There are other challenges that I am still facing but the above have been the most common of all. Hope to hear from you guys.

Do you work on weekends?? I love it

2011-02-05T05:26:00.000-08:00

To many freelancers, a weekend is a normal working day.

In traditional employment or what most people call corporate employment or formal employment, most people work from 9:00AM to 5:00 PM Monday to Friday.

However, freelancers rarely work like that. Many of us work in the wee hours of the morning, others work on weekends and others still work in the formal working hours – 9:00AM to 5:00PM Monday to Friday. The choice is upon the freelancer to decide what time is appropriate.

Personally, I am really a night owl and an early bird. I will stay late at night either coding or sculping – online Forex Trading, or at times just watching a movie.

Ever since I started freelancing, I really don’t mind what day of the week it is. I can work a whole weekend and have no worries or feel cheated. I can decide to go pick up a friend form the airport on a Tuesday morning or have a business meeting for my personal projects on a Thursday afternoon. No permission needed, no explanations necessary, I just take the opportunities as they come. For example I can decide to chill my work and go check out all the land available for sale on a Wednesday knowing that I will catch up on my work come the weekend.

I know many people will say that I live a very unbalanced life. Maybe I do. But why should I wait for the weekend to relax. I have never gotten it. I don’t know what other freelancers do but I by the virtue that I love my work, I check my email wherever I go, I can login and update a site any time of the night and any part of the day. I can write code from anywhere. While waiting for the bus, while backing up client’s data, while waiting for my girlfriend to finish making up, while waiting for a meeting to start – even when I am bored, I just logon and do some work.

You must wonder if I ever tell my clients’ that I am ever willing to work on weekends. I never tell them. But definitely they know. I send out emails at 3:00 AM in the morning, respond to queries on a Sunday afternoon and even backup on Friday evening – from 5:00PM to about 10:00 PM when everyone is rushing out of office to go for a date or catch up with the boys of just go home to the kids.

But as mentioned earlier, I can afford to meet and spend time with those that matter to me any time of the week, any time of the day. I don’t need the weekend to go visiting or wait for Friday to go happening (I never happen in fact so that is out) but all in all, I just find it awesome to be able to do whatever I want to do.

True I may have no weekends, no public holidays, no leave days, but again, I take all opportunities as they come. I may tell you that I am engaged on a Tuesday morning and you think I will be doing work yet the truth will be that I will be having dance class lessons then.

None wants meetings on weekends and few ever pick their phones for work related issues. I thus spend the weekends working. I have few emails that drop in on weekends hence I am able to enjoy long hours of bliss as I work. Even calls are limited. Basically I love working and it does not matter whether it’s a weekend or not. Just that weekends allow me the bliss to concentrate on that piece of code that needs lots of logic to implement.

Many freelancers may find it weird to be seated on their laptops while others are having fun on the beach (especially in this hot weather here in Uganda). I really don’t know. I find it normal considering that I don’t have to wait for the weekend to go to the beach. But again, that’s me. I would like to know how other freelancers are finding it.

I recall those days when I was in formal employment, I used to love Fridays, that’s when I would dress down – jeans and T-shirts, open shoes, no neck ties and no long sleeved shirts. I used to look forward to Fridays. I would be happy all day.

Now, I look forward to each day – whether Monday or Sunday, I love all days and I am productive on all including weekends. I take opportunities as they come – and I have never been any happier.

So do you guys work on weekends? I would like to hear from you. I do work on weekends and I love it.

Why Networking is a must for freelancers

2011-01-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

"I wanted to live the life, a different life. I didn't want to go to the same place every day and see the same people and do the same job. I wanted interesting challenges.- "Harrison Ford .

Contact with like-minded individuals and development of friendships
One basic human need is to feel connected with like-minded individuals. By extending your contacts and getting to know them you’ll soon develop a network of people you will want to spend time with, share ideas with and learn from. One of the key benefits of business networking is that I’ve personally gained a number of really good friends I can now turn to even though initially the purpose was for business.

Generation of referrals /Increased business
Fact – 70% on average of all new business is gained through word of mouth and positive recommendation. As you develop your contacts and build up positive relationships with people you will find that you will naturally gain business and sales leads as people recommend your services. People like to pass business to those they know, like and trust. But this will only happen if you have a network of contacts in the first place.

I have been lucky to get many leads from people I have worked for. In fact, there is a client that has given me three other clients. As a freelancer who spends most of my time working alone, my only source of networking is mainly through my clients. You see, I am either working from my room or meeting a client over a project. I thus must network within my clients so that they are able to refer me to other potential clients. Definatley to be referred, one has to be very dependable and reliable.

Increased confidence
The more you network the more you get used to explaining what you do and how you can help others. Clear communication of how you can help is crucial to winning business and this will only improve the more you do.
Most of freelancers are always alone hence if you really dont network, you will even fail to explain what you do and why of all compnaies and other freelancers out there, a client should use your services. But if you keep explaining it as you network. You get better at it and man, you will just rock.

Raising your profile
Just by expanding your contacts you are raising your profile – people know you exist and know what you do and you will more likely to be thought of if your products or services are required. And which freelancer does not want a large profile of clients?

Free consultancy and advice
Yes I know we are freelancers and do all the work on our own blah blah blah but still once in a while we need to get some advice. We need to get an opinion and such opinions are easier gotten from the people we know. Since we spend many hours alone, having a colleague to offer advice to us is just right and a must. That why freelancers must always network to get contacts that they can consult.

Knowing who to turn to when you need help
The benefits of business networking are not just about generating sales leads and referrals. How much time have you wasted in the past trying to find the right person or business to solve a problem for you? Have you resorted to looking in the local telephone book for a service or plucked a name off the internet only to be disappointed with the product or service provided? By getting to know reliable contacts who can provide you with what you want or who can be trusted to recommend others is worth so much in terms of your time and money. And as freelancer, time is very crucial, its better to know someone who can solve your problem over the phone than spending a whole week on it and you dont solve it. Yes, such is our work, especially those coding.

Uncover new opportunities
You just ‘don’t know what you don’t know’. The same goes for business networking – you never know when a contact will be useful and will present you with new opportunities. If we restrict ourselves to our own narrow network of contacts we become comfortable and limit our ideas. As soon as we get to know others and become open minded to their ideas we suddenly open ourselves up to new possibilities, perhaps a new approach to doing something or even a new business venture which we may never otherwise have thought of.

As a freelancer, I am always pushed to do something better, to deliver something unique and most times, when pushed to the wall, I always look for new approaches, maybe they are not that new since someone somewhere must have done it.And thats when networking makes sense. A simple call to the right person can have your new approach completed and you will add one more happy client to your list of happy clients.

Satisfaction from helping others
Last but by no means least, one of the biggest advantages of networking in business is the increased capacity to help others. Have you ever thought just how good it feels when you have helped someone whether it is by saving them time and effort by providing them with a useful contact, passing someone a referral or directly giving someone a piece of useful advice? The benefits of business networking just keep on coming!

2011 Resolutions

2011-01-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Hmmmmm, I am really slow on this. But looks like everyone is busy making New Year Resolutions. Truth is that I am so excited about this year. I have never been excited about any year in my entire life as I am excited about this one.

Lots of expectations. Lots to achieve. Lots to do. And ohhhh, the resolutions. Well, I have just one. Yes, just one indeed.

Merry Merry Merry Xmas....

2010-12-26T02:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Merry Merry Xmas, not sure how you have spent this feastive season. I managed to go to church on the real day - xmas day.
I really used to like Xmas as a kid. I guess we all did. Now as an adult, nothing much is thrilling any more. Nothing much. Yes, I still love the Christmas trees, I have decorated the one in the pic on the left, and I hope I will decorate all trees with my kids. I love the carols too. My favourite is "When a child is Born" not sure who was the original composer but its just a classic.

Basically to me, apart from driving 410 KM from Kampala to Kabale, decorating the family Christmas tree and listening to Carols on my lappy, nothing else is there to look foward too. I must admit that most people are in a jolly mood and I look fowarrd to that too - especially the local people. They are all very smart and basically party and share the little that they have. Its so humbling at times to see such in our loal villages.

So this Xmas season, I hope that I truelly find the meaning of xmas in my life, that I may not only look forward to decorating the trees and listening to the carols.

You know I was touched by a young lady who had to work on Xmas day. Those of you in Kampala know how wet the rains made the day. This pretty young beautiful lady had to go to work, being xmas, there were few taxis and very expensive too. No boda boda so she had to walk all the way to the hospital so as to help the patients. She called it her worst Christmas. However, I was touched by her sense of commitment - while many of us where busy on holidays, she had to endure the rains and make it to the hospital. She smiled as she served the clients - they were few clients. She made me realise that Xmas is about presence.

Merry Xmas to you all.

Passive Income

2010-11-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

If you are like me and think about the future – especially what kind of life you would like to live say maybe 20 years from now – will you still be working for the same company that you are working for or doing the same thing that you are doing?? Will you still be living in the house that you are in or maybe you will be in your dream house – next to the beach, with large clear glass windows overlooking the water? What about your lifestyle?? Will you be able to afford a holiday at that great Hotel for a weekend?? Maybe you love travelling, do you think twenty years from now you will be able to afford that tour to your dream destination??

Sounds too much?? I have not even asked you about family, how will your family be?? What kind of lifestyle will define your spouse, kids and yourself??

So if you are like me and at times spend time reflecting on what kind of life you want to live, twenty years from now then let’s roll - read on. For those who are comfortable and are not concerned about the future, if you have no plans for the future and only mind how today has gone, then maybe you can stop here.

You see, if you want to live a better life, a better life in my opinion is the ability to spend time with those you love and doing what you love. In other words, it’s the ability to spend your time living a full life as you want it. And yes you can – who says it’s not possible?? You see we spend most of times working for money, using the traditional methods of making money and end up twenty years later still living in those same traditional methods – go to school, graduate, get a job, get married, work hard at your job, impress your boss, get promoted and finally retire.

However, there is another option - go to school, graduate, get a job, get married, make money work for you, live the life that you want. I know you think I am crazy and you’re wondering why I am becoming an idealist – and probably you’re saying that everyone would love that – well, not everyone has the guts to put in extra hours of hard work to make money work for them. We prefer the traditional methods of making money – get employed and get paid for what you do and work hard to keep the job. Definitely no payment if you lose it.

However, the good news is that there is what we call passive income – this is income that you make whether you are sleeping, travelling, bathing, eating – name it, you don’t have to be seated in someone’s office so as to earn nor do you have to be seated in your office either to earn it . No. Passive income is that income that comes from past activities and keeps coming even when the activity is completed – a good example is having houses for rent. We all know them and maybe most of us are renting – the owners of the houses we rent will keep earning from us. Another example is an author who keeps getting a portion from each book that is bought.

There are many ways of making passive income but I am interested in those ways in which a young fellow like me – with no inheritance or startup capital can actually start making money work them. Definitely hard work is needed at the start and the learning curve is great but hey, after sometime, the income will continue coming while you do less work.

1. Photography – with modern cameras, you can take great shots and upload them on the internet - http://www.istockphoto.com/ is a great example. You will keep earning from each photograph that you post. Of course it should be a great shot but the point is that modern cameras are great and if you post a great shot that earns you $5 a week, you will have passive income every year of $260. And with time you can grow that $5 a week to even $100 a week.

2. Videos – there are sites that will pay you for uploading a video clip – any video clip, even if you capture your cat jumping up and down as long as it generates hits, you get paid for it. A good example is http://revver.com where many people are getting paid for uploading videos.

3. Online Forex – this needs a lot of skill but once you are great at reading charts, you will always be able to make money through forex trading. Lots of sites give you a free demo account worth $50,000 and you can practice on that. I recommend practicing on the demo until you are ready – then look for a trading house and trade for them – imagine putting in a weekend trade and it makes $500 in that weekend. You can grow your account from a minimum account to a very large account as long as you’re great at reading charts and analyzing the news that occur. Try www.gft.com

4. Blogging – you definitely know that you can make passive income from a blog like this one (I don’t blog for money so I am not making any money off this blog). All you need to do is promote your blog and write great content – people will always read and you will make money (passive income) from the adverts that will be posted on your account. You can sign up with http://chitika.com/ if you want to give it a shot – they have wonderful programs.

I guess there are other ways of making passive income but the above 4 methods favor those of us that have no startup capital, have no borrowing power from a bank – banks need you to have something before they give you their money, nor do we have any inheritance. Slowly, we can grow our passive income and with time, it will be enough to make you realize your dream life – if you have passive income monthly that can pay for a dream destination, why not travel and spend the money on a great holiday, after all, you don’t need to work all year around to get that income nor do you have to ask your boss for permission nor o get a study leave. And the great thing is that it will keep coming hence you will keep travelling until you get tired of your dream destinations – I guess you’re wondering how, yes you will get tired.

But don’t forget that you must start now – not tomorrow or some other day. You must start growing or accumulating your passive income now. Good luck. Feel free to drop me a line of feedback using the form below about what you think.

Why companies should hire and use freelancers

2010-10-25T07:57:00.000-07:00

The last time I blogged about why freelancing is better than full time employment I was really addressing the advantages of freelancing as seen in from the freelancer’s point of view. I would like to share some facts why I also believe that freelancing is better for companies, NGOs and corporates:

1. 1. It’s far away lot cheaper: This is plain fact; freelancers will always be cheaper than their fellow agencies or corporates. Agencies and corporates have to factor in salaries for all staff, rent, logistics such as lunch and transport for all staff and definitely profit on a project hence making it more expensive to do business. On the hand freelancers are always sensitive to cost and will charge you for purely the effort and time spent on the project. If you are company or agency planning on cutting costs (one wonders which corporate would not like to cut costs), kindly try hiring and using freelancers – maybe you will see the difference.

2. 2. No IT support needed – you know ICT has become a must have component for all offices. For every employee you add, you add more load onto the IT team (they need to create user names for new users, carry out backups for an extra employee, monitor an extra computer on the network and lots more) and offer guidance to that new person that you have added onto the team. Soon your IT team needs to grow bigger and your office spends more. But if the office decided to use the services of a freelancer, then no IT support is needed, your office IT is maintained, people are happy and your work is done by the freelancer from where he will be – you don’t even need to offer office space – the freelancer will only appear for meetings, demos and trainings if any.

3. 3. No new equipment to buy: Most freelancers have their own software, computers and all tools they need. So the office does not spend on an extra license for the anti-virus, extra books to help the freelancer cope, no new desk extension as they would do on a new employee.

4. 4. No much paperwork: We all have seen those employee lists that show the employee names, contact details, extension numbers and much more. Such a list would be much shorter if the company used freelancers. Definitely things like staff files, memos, and all that paperwork that a company does will be much reduced if freelancers are used. They even don’t have to sign in the attendance sheet or compile timesheets like normal employees do hence reduction of paperwork.

5. 5. No HR complaints : Most freelancers rarely go to the HR department. They deal with project managers and maybe accountants for payments. This reduces the issues you would have with HR especially about offering annual leave, maternity leave and the rest. If a company uses freelancers, the manager can actually do away with HR and hence save lots of costs. And even if they keep the HR department, still the complaints to the HR would be grreatly reduced.

6. 6. Helps the environment: We all know that the more people in a place the more damage to the environment – more noise, more pollution, more gossip, name it. So freelancers if hired for the company will keep the company environment decongested since they never work from the company premises.

7. 7. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid, unlike most employees: In simple terms, there is no pretense work in freelancing. You get paid for what you deliver. In companies, permanent employees get paid even when they facebook all day, or chat and youtube all day using company resources, companies would make lots of savings if they used more freelancers and less permanent staff.

8. 8. It’s much easier to fire freelancers – If the company does not like the work, the freelancer can be fired and another brought on board. The mood in the company will not be affected. Permanent staff on the hand are hard to fire considering that they have standing contracts and more so have friends at the company so firing one employee makes the other employees feel insecure and management always has to go an extra mile to reassure confidence in those left behind – but with freelancers, just fire and hire, the next freelancer that comes will be noticed only by those employees working on the same project. The rest of the office will never know.

9. 9. Quick responses – you ask for something, it shows up, no hand holding required. Freelancers are known to be quick since they see each assignment in times of money that can be made from it. So delaying means delaying the payment as well.

10. 10. No need to deal with annoying habits: Employees come with all sorts of habits, and as such some are annoying, some are great, some are jolly and all. A company that uses freelancers will have limited how many types of habits come into the company pool – as thus the company will be in position to avoid those bad annoying habits that some people carry by simply hiring freelancers.

I can go on and on but I hope that I have shade some light why companies and agencies should think seriously at utilizing freelancers – the trend has come and only those who adopt will sail through, those who insist will definitely sail through too but with extra effort to counter attack all the above reasons.

More on Freelancing; Proudly introvert – alone with my code

2010-10-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

For first time in my life, I can wake up and spend the whole day alone with my code. I love the stillness and quiet most. It’s in these quiet moments that I tend to think more and see the ideas float just in front of me. I know many of my friends who read this are going to say that I am always online hence I am not alone – true, I am always online but the other person online cannot really affect my peace and quiet. I actually love being online too. This is because I am never lonely when I am online yet I don’t feel like being in a crowded place.

You see, I don’t like crowded places – by crowded I refer to both human traffic and non-human traffic. I prefer an empty church to a church that has many people even if all the people in it are quiet – I guess they emit energy and it’s that energy that makes me feel the place is indeed crowded even if they are as silent as a graveyard.

I recall when I was in school and I would prefer to wake up early and go to class so that I read before the rest of the students wake up – this was because I preferred and still prefer quiet places. Even when it came to praying, I would always go earlier to church so that I can have my time alone in a quiet environment.

When the football matches from the European countries especially the Premier League started to be screened here, all video halls, local pubs and joints that had the chance to screen the matches got an influx of people. Having been a footballer from a young age (many people don’t believe I can even kick a ball), I was attracted to these pubs and joints. I always left early since I always felt something was lacking. By then I had no clue I was really an introvert. Even now many of you may not believe – considering that I like debating, arguing and spending time with friends. I am great with kids and you know kids are always making noise – but truth is that I am an introvert. I love spending time alone in a quiet and still place.

Freelancing has enabled me to spend time working alone and most times I am working from my home. It’s been great; such bliss - so calm and peaceful. I occasionally step out to go offer training to clients, go for meetings or go to the bank or super market but otherwise I spend my days alone with my code. It’s now that I realize that all along, I am indeed an introvert – and I am proud of it.

So when I looked at the pic of Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple), pic on your left, I was able to appreciate his simplistic lifestyle – not sure if he is an introvert but one thing is for sure, I too like such empty rooms. For the few that have visited me, you now know why my apartment (refer to first pic above) has almost no furniture, no Television set, no radios, no record players, just me and my code for now.

Not sure how long this bliss will last considering that my neighbors can decide to cause havoc with their state of the art sound systems but so far the bliss is great.

Of freelancing, travelling and falling sick

2010-09-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

Having crossed the line into freelancing 100%, I guess I wanted to experience all the benefits of freelancing at the same time - working, travelling and touring,taking snaps and meeting people. I had forgotten that it’s almost impossible to experience all benefits simultaneously. So I set off on touring the country and visiting all my friends that I had not visited in a long time at the same time working on my projects. Recall that as a freelancer, I am not limited to sitting in an office; I can work from any location of the globe. So my first trip was to the eastern part of the country – Mbale, a place I had not visited since 2008, it was a great trip. My friends were happy to see me, and I left when I really wanted to stay. I guess I will be going back early next year or later this year.

My next trip was to my home town – Kabale, a small shabby dusty district with one lake and 1000 hills but with very warm and loving people. In those days when I was in full time employment, I would travel Friday night and travel back by sun morning so that I be on my desk by Monday. However, this trip round, I travelled during the day on Saturday and was there till mid-week. It was great to be able to see the town alive on a working day and to meet lots of people – many of them thought I was now working back home in Kabale – they have no clue that freelancing enables one to work from anywhere. The snap on the left was taken at about 10am in the morning at Butobere when the sun was trying to shine through the fog and mist. It can be really cold in Kabale and the sun shows up after 10am.

On my return, from Kabale, I headed mid-west to Kyenjojo district – it’s a new district in the Toro Kingdom and the people speak pure Rutooro. However, I did not enjoy really much on this particular trip. I fell ill and returned the following day to Kampala to get treatment. Good for me the medical experts did not find any malaria fever or typhoid as I had expected – I was told I had a viral attack. Was advised to takes lots of fluids and to spend lots of time resting. I was down for 5 days but I am now back on my feet and feeling wow – great. I will go back to Kyenjojo when I am strong again.

So when I look back at freelancing, sure it’s great but it also has its sour part – like no medical insurance, previously when I fell ill, the company I worked for would meet the costs, now I have to meet them. Furthermore, payment is never guaranteed like in salaried employment. You are never sure when a client will pay – some give you their word and fail to honor it, others however, do honor it so you are never sure.
The other aspect I have noticed is that my sense of fashion has gone out of the window, on most days, I work in my pajamas till like midday when I freshen up and go to get myself a bite. My ties and corporate white shirts are rarely touched – I prefer my cotton T-shirts, jeans and open shoes. Those days in formal employment it was neck ties, white shirts and closed shoes Monday to Thursday – Friday was always dress down Friday and I always looked forward to it. Now I look forward to no day, I look forward to projects only.

So far so good with freelancing, I am yet to discover more, but the freedom that comes with it alone is good enough.
Meanwhile, some people confessed that they freelance simply because they are lazy – my experience has shown that any lazy person cannot handle freelancing, unless the definition of the word “lazy” has changed. A lazy person is better off on a full time employment where he is assured of monthly salaried payment whether he works hard or not. In freelancing, you get paid for what you deliver – no delivery, no payment; Simple and clear.

Freelancing is better than formal full time employment

2010-08-27T02:31:00.000-07:00

"It's better to cross-the-line and suffer the consequences than to just stare at the line for the rest of our life"

I always knew the reasons why I wanted to move from formal full time employment to full time freelancing or consultancy. Though the reasons where very clear and valid according to me, I did not know when I would make that move. The timing was always the challenge. Now that I have finally crossed the line (crossed from full time formal employment to full time freelancing), let me share with you the reasons why I believe freelancing is the best way to go and why I have chosen to take this path.

1. More Strategic Position
I believe that freelancing offers one a more strategic position. One is in control of his resources (especially time and place) and can decide when to work and where to work from. I believe I can work on a US project while seated in Kabale (thanks to the internet) and while I work, when I need a break, I can go check out the poultry to ensure the workers have put enough water in the troughs - something I cannot do when I am in formal full time employment since I will be seated in some office in Kampala from 8:00 AM to 5:00PM.

2. Being More Well-Rounded
Freelancing allows one the options to grow in all areas, I am personally able to do sales, marketing and even support. In a full time employment, one is just a cog in the big machine. But when your freelancing, you become your own accountant, your own Human Resource, your own sales rep , your own customer care rep to mention but a few. You thus grow in all those areas. In full time employemnet, you are likely to stay in just one section and never appreciate the work done by other sections. Freelancing gives one the opportunity to appreciate such diversity and engage in deeper understanding of different fields. Growth is all round and more interesting(at times chalennging too)

3. Becoming a More Progressive Worker and Less Reactionary
When working for a company, we tend to always point fingers when things go wrong. You know that famous statement of “Blame it on someone” when a project goes bad, the boss pins it on the developer, the developer then accusses the client and the cleint accusses the boss for having a fake team of developers that do not understand the client’s needs. And the cycle continues. In freelancing, you have only yourself, you have to do all it takes to make it work. You become more of a progressive worker than a reactionary. And plus your next job only depends on how good the last one was done. Freelancing makes you more responsible and more progressive in the long run.

4. Creation of a Stronger Network of Contacts
When Working for a compnay, your contacts are limited to the few people you meet and most times, you may not know the value of networking and building a list of contacts. Freelancing exposes you to meet lots more people. And the great thing about freelancing is that you will appreciate and respect each contact lead you get for you know what they each mean to you. Any of those contacts can get you, your next project. In a corporate environmnent, contacts are not really important to you since they may appear as company contacts. Plus the sales department will always have a list of company contacts anyway.

5. Becoming a Better Negotiator
I find it funny that some people don’t even know how much they are worth per hour. This is largely because the company sets the salary and all the other benefits that come with it. Most people negotiate only when they are buying a car or land or a house – since they mostly shop in supermarkets. They find it stressful and demeaning. Freelancing will enable you to know how much you are worth per hour. You will negotiate better and become good at it. This is because you are always negotiating offers and with time, you become less attached t it – you just become good at it.

6. Better Ability to Control Your Income
What most people dont know is that companys hire people so that they make profits. And most times the highest percetage of that profit goes to the boss. If you are doing great work for the company, you cannot just raise your income, you still have to ask your boss to raise the salaary. Chances are that you will get a low deal since as mentioned above, your negotiating ability is low. The boss will ask you to give a reason why you deserve the pay, and most likely subject you to a review. After showing you how you have not made any large profits, the boss will then add a little increment to your salary to keep you motivated and you retrun to your desk to toil and slave for the company (the profits you make will enable the boss to buy a new car and send his kids to a better school, house weekend birthday parties while you work throughout the weekend to keep the job)
Freelancing on the other hand, allows one to increase his income whenever they want. Just increase your hourly rate. You don’t need to give anyone a reason why you need to get a raise neither do you have to sit through a review. And all your efforts come back you in form of profits – they dont go to earn your boss another quartely bonus!!! Freelancing for life!

7. Doing and enjoying Better Work
As a freelancer, you will always be passitionate about the job that you are doing. This results in better work. And you have a choice to turn down any work that you may not like. In corporate organizations, your boss determines what you do, whether you enjoy it or not, and most times when you dont like it, you do it poorly. Freelancing results in doing better work since you do what you like and do it better – definately remembering that your next job is only as good as the last one, you get motivated.

8. Growth
The statement that “You will learn more by working with people that challenge you in one year than you would in 4 years of university” is very true. As a freelancer, I believe you decide to work with whom you want. In corporate, honestly, you have little power in influencing which person sits next to you. So why spend your good time with people that may not even help you grow? Freelancing will push you to the edge as you learn new things and grow

9. Wider Horizon.
And last but not the least, there’s a wider horizon to explore if you are a freelancer. Travel, enjoy life, and live happily.
Still doubting, rememeber that in the current job climate nothing is set in stone and nothing is guaranteed. That’s why if ever there were a time to take a chance on yourself, now would be it. Lets go freelancing.

Searching for the most sort after item in Uganda – Vuvuzela!

2010-07-12T22:40:00.001-07:00

Yes, the FIFA world cup 2010 might be gone, but not the madness it created. Who of us had ever heard of the ugly sound of a vuvuzela? How many of us heard even heard or known of such a term? But it is one of the most memorable items that the world cup has left behind.
I have a strong belief that the ugly sound of the Vuvuzela is here to stay. Come the next world cup, the vuvuzelas will be imported all the way from South Africa to wherever the world cup will be.
Here in Uganda, I decided to get myself the vuvuzela as a souvenir - so as to always remember the 2010 World Cup. It was so special for many of us for different reasons. And to some like me, the vuvuzela was one of those things that made it indeed special. Never before in the previous World Cups did that ugly sound of the Vuvuzelas make such an impact. It was a must have item for all the fans; it was indeed a vuvuzela world cup.
So my search to equip myself with this popular item took me to the biggest stores in town – Game, Shoprite, Garden City and Nakumart but alaas! I was very unlucky. I got the same response from all of them. “Sorry, vuvuzelas are sold out at the present” I was not ready to give up, so I would ask the sales person where they thought I would get myself a Vuvuzela. You will not believe this but I moved to all the shops that I was recommended to. I even went to a bookstore – which I knew sells books but was determined to leave no stone unturned in my search for a vuvuzela. So I went to the book store and of course I was told book stores sell just books and no vuvuzelas. I was just following a lead a sales person had given me.
After some time, I was tired and had run out of time. I decided to abandon the search for the vuvuzela temporarily.
I still have not obtained one, I really really really really really really really really really need one – to keep as a souvenir for the 2010 World Cup. But as mentioned above, the vuvuzela is really out of stock in Kampala – I wonder why the Chinese traders that seem to duplicate everything – including Nokia phones, failed to exploit the opportunity and duplicate vuvuzelas for those of us that needed them.
I will keep looking around till I land myself a vuvuzela.

The smiling daughter of the storm

2010-06-24T23:20:00.000-07:00

There was a little girl who walked to and from school every day. One day, though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she set out on her daily trek to the elementary school.

As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. Her mother was concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child.

Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword, was cutting through the sky. Concerned, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile at the sky.

Another and another flash of lighning followed and with each the little girl would look up at the streak of light and smile. The mother pulled her car up beside the child, and she lowered the window and called to her, "What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping?"

The little girl answered, "I am trying to look pretty! God keeps taking my picture."

We all have storms, and so many of us keeping asking the why question - "why me Lord " or "What have I done to deserve such?" or "when will all this brokeness end" or "why is it thats its only my marriage not working out" or "Why is my boss never understanding" or "how come I never get the right employees/maids" or "how come I cannot talk to my kids and they listen" or "why can't our parents understand?" or "why is it that I never get to be in a good relationship - why do I always get the bad guys/gals" or "Why is that my business is not picking up??" " why? why? why?"The list is endless.

The little girl had a choice, to either be like most of us would have been - frightened and afraid or to smile to the ligtening and assume God was taking a picture of her. The choice is ours to make.

A friend of mine once told me to stop asking the why and to start enjoying the ride - for indeed life is not about avoiding the storm but learning how to dance in the rain. I will continue dancing in the rain - skidding in the mud, soiling my hands everytime I touch the ground, but will sure get up everytime I fall, wash my hands clean in the rain and continue forward enjoying the ride.

And like the birds, once the storm is over, we shall sing, rejoice and be glad that we made it through the storm.

Wishing you Sunshine and Blessings.

Taking the Leap...

2010-05-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

“Come to the edge, he said.
They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge, he said.
They came.
He pushed them
and they flew....”
by... Guillaume Apollinaire

I wonder how many times many of us hear that voice calling us to go the edge. To go and take a leap. A leap into the unkown.

If you have no idea what leap am talking about, then you should not be reading this particular topic on this blog. I suggest that you stop here. But if you are like me and have been hearing that voice, that inner conviction that you need to take a leap, then I am sure that you have found a companion.

From the days when I was in high school, it was clear at what age I would venture into full time enterprenuership. I knew the stage and was very sure I would make it. Throughout my university days, I prepared myself by reading all the materials that I came across then that were connectd to enterprenuership (ofcourse I read lots about coding too back then). Well, I guess you may think that I am ready now. That I have always planned it from way back.

Truth is that I am not. The voice keeps telling me that I have to take the leap. That the time is ripe. That it is now . That the stage is now. That the age is now. But am afraid to fly into the unknown.

The voice keeps telling me to move from the category of wannabeprenuer to that of enterpreneuer. But the price to pay while crossing that bridge,hmmm, it seems tight. I have weighed all. I know whats at stake. I know what I will sacrifice. I know the journey across will be an interesting one – I have always loved challenges and maybe thats the reason the inner voice keeps telling me to take the leap.

You see I am very sure that all the obstacles that are stopping me from taking the leap are not real. They are just percieved. Its only the fear of the unkown that is making me develop cold feet.

And now that I think about it, the more I am conviced that I need to take the leap. Maybe I should first hop, then skip and finally take the leap. But finally I still take the leap anyway. You must be wondering why I am delaying the obvious.
Well, definatley your not in my shoes so its easy for you to think and say, why doesnt he make up his mind? But if you have ever left that comfort zone of a well salaried well paying Job and ventured into enterprenuership, then you know what I am talking about. However, if you have never, then you are right to think the way you are thinking.

You see, I too have been wondering if its right to follow my heart, to follow my gut feeling or to just go for the money. Maybe let me put it this way for you. “When it comes to making the leap from employee to full-time entrepreneur, do you follow your heart, your gut or your money?

Let me know...

Where do Old Programmers go??

2010-02-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

With time one comes to the realization that one has to move on in life. I must have come to that point for I started looking out to what happens to old programmers.

I recalled the time I started coding about 5 years ago – the year was 2005. I was inspired by my fellow friends (May Our Good Lord bless them) at one of Uganda’s best software companies – True African Uganda. I found a family of coders. They nurtured me and showed me the way. The passion grew and I will forever be indebted to them. Then I believed that I would even work for True African for as long as I lived – of course it never happened. I moved jobs soon after that.

So as I came to the realization of moving on, I looked at some of those guys that had inspired and showed me the way. I wanted to know where they were 5 years later.

Most of them have moved into management, others started their own software companies which they manage and employ young coders to do the work.

I wanted to know why programmers never continue coding till their late 50s or even 6os. I wanted to know what happens to them. In other words, where do old programmers go?

People said that coding needs lots of time and as one gets older, they tend to need more time for family, self projects as compared to their young counterparts who are willing to put in more extra time, are much enthusiastic and are easy to be managed.

Accordingly, most companies would prefer young coders as compared to old coders and groom the young fellows to do what they want them to do. Their argument is that young coders are willing to adapt to new technologies.

So as I look to where I am heading, I wonder what happens to old programmers. I believe that coding is a highly specialized career path and hence leaves one with no time and resources for one to diversify. Coders need to add extra time into learning new skills so as to be multi skilled as compared to being highly specialized.

Once multi skilled, old programmers would then smoothly be taken on into other projects. Not necessarily pure coding but other related coding projects that they would enjoy. I believe honestly that highly specialized career paths stem from old thinking. In this day and age, we should all strive to be multi skilled and be open to changes in the IT world.

I am not saying that people should avoid highly specialized career paths like coding, no, I am saying that people should be multi skilled so as to adapt to the ever changing environment.

As mentioned earlier, I have come to the realization that I must move on, and looking ahead, I don’t see many old programmers; all I see are we the young coders. Shall we still be coding at 50 yrs or 80 yrs? Or we shall move into management like the other coders that I have known??
Maybe you can help me and let me know what you think happens to old programmers (for that’s where I am heading – I will be an old programmer soon.) What happens to old programmers??

For some moments in life there are no words

2010-02-03T04:28:00.000-08:00

I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them. The gratitude has finally conquered the loss.

For sure that time will come, and this year 2010, its been another reminder that we are all on a journey to where we belong. You know I tend to forget and enjoy the sweet life but on 26th Jan 2010 (the day my mum died in her sleep - she was 58 yrs old ), I got yet another remainder about life. I landed on Robert Test's text below of how he would like to be remembered - I will try to remember her through a kind deed or a word to someone who needs it. Peharps she will live forever if I do so.

TO REMEMBER ME

The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying.

At a certain moment, a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine, and don't call this my death bed. Let this be called the bed of life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.

Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman.

Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.

Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.

Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist.

Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.

Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.

Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellow man.

If by chance you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or a word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.
-----------------------
Robert N. Test

Dr. Seuss Comes to Copenhagen

2010-01-17T22:20:00.000-08:00

Brilliant indeed - Thanks Lucrezia for sharing it.

From BBC’s “The Now Show” as heard on BBC Radio 4, 19 Dec 2009 (transcript from The English Blog):

The delegates came and the delegates sat
And they talked and they talked till their bums all went flat
Then a delegate said of the country he knew
“We must do something quick but just what should we do
So they sat again thinking and there they stayed seated
Sitting and thinking “the planet’s been heated”
“I think” said a delegate there from Peru
“That we all must agree on some things we could do
Like reducing emissions at least CO2”

So they nodded and noted then vetoed and voted
And one of them stood up and suddenly quoted
“It’s the science you see, that’s the thing that must guide us
When the leaders all get here they’re certain to chide us”

So they sat again thinking about what to think
Then decided to ponder what colour of ink
To use on the paper when they’d all agreed
To be selfless not greedy McGreedy McGreed

“But how do we choose just what colour to use”
Said a delegate there who’d been having a snooze
“We need clear binding targets definitive action
We must all agree clearly without more distraction”

So they sat again thinking of targets for ink
But the ink in their thinking had started to stink
And they started to think that the ink was a kink
In the thinking about real things they should think

“If ze climate needs mending then zis is our chance”
Said the nuclear delegate sent there by France
“We need to agree on one thing to agree on
Something we all want a fixed guarantee on”

“Yes” said another who thought this made sense
Some value for carbon in dollars or pence
But the mention of money and thoughts of expense
Had stifled the progress and things became tense

The fella from China with a smile on his face
Said “Who put the carbon there in the first place?”
“Wasn’t us” said the U.S then Europe did too
Then a silence descended and no words were spoken
Till a delegate stood up, voice nervous and broken

“Is there nothing upon which we all can decide
Because on Wednesday my chicken laid eggs that were fried”
“We all like a sing song” said the bloke from Down Under
But then the great hall was all shouting and thunder

Policemen had entered and were wearing protesters
Who they’d beaten and flattened like bloodied sou’westers
The police had decided to downplay this crime
With prevention detention and beatings in rhyme
The Greenies who’d shouted and asked for a decision
Were now being battered with lethal precision

All sick of inaction and fed up of waiting
All tired of the endless debated placating
They’d risen up grating berating and hating
So the police had commenced the related abating

Ban Ki-moon put his head in another man’s lap
And was last heard muttering something like “crap”
But the chap next to him said “It’s more like it’s poo”
So the great hall debated not what they should do
But how to decide between crap cack and poo

“It is poo” “It is cack” “It is crap” “We agree”
Which was written and labelled as Document Three
“I think if we all find one thing we agree on
Then maybe Brazil might be left with a tree on”
So they sat again thinking of trees and Brazil
And of glaciers which had retreated uphill

And they thought of the poor folks whose homes were in flood
But less of the protesters covered in blood
They pondered the species so nearly extinct
It’s as if they all thought that these things might be linked

“We need a solution we need action please”
Said a lady who’d come from the sinking Maldives
The others all nodded and said it was fact
That the time must be now not to talk but to act

Then Obama arrived and said most rhetorical
“Action is action and not metaphorical”
“Wow” they all thought “he must mean arregorical [sic]”
“I love it when Barack goes all oratorical”

“But he problem I have is that Congress won’t pass it
“Bugger” said Ban Ki then “sorry” then “arse it”
Then Brown said “I’ve got it now how does this strike you?
It’s simpler when voters already dislike you”

He suggested the EU should lead from the front
So The Mail and The Telegraph called him something very unpleasant indeed
So the delegates stared at the text with red marks on
Ignoring the gales of laughter from Clarkson

No-one was satisfied nobody won
Except the morons convinced it was really the sun
And they blew it and wasted the greatest of chances
Instead they all frolicked in diplomat dances

And decided decisively right there and then
That the best way to solve it’s to meet up again
And decide on a future that’s greener and greater
Not with action right now but with something else later

I am not a fan of facebook

2009-10-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am sure you really find me wierd. But I am just being honest. I really have tried. Like everyone else, I signed up on facebook and found lots of people. Even some that I had last seen in primary school - but then, I still don't see what should keep me logged into facebook.

I always ask people what they be doing on facebook all those hours - I would rather read a blog, read a book or even better meet people physically.

Facebook is just not my type now - maybe later i will come on baord.

Stress Factor: Standard Chartered Bank in Uganda!!!

2009-09-29T22:46:00.000-07:00

Having been brought up in a very strict time management environment, I have over the years come to appreciate and cherish time. I do understand when at times things fail to be completed in the scheduled time scale or when due to technical reasons, things just fail. I do understand that.

But what I don’t understand is why customers especially in banks are made to line up for over an hour to access a service. Why does the management of such banks notice the influx of customers and assign more people to offer a service temporarily or more so plan in such way that they always have back up plans just in case they get an influx of customers?

Recently I opened up yet another bank account for my Small and Medium Enterprise – Hosting Smiles. I have been with Standard Chartered Bank for some time so I opted for it. As expected, I was not disappointed at the time of signing up for the SME account. The girl that helped me was fast, polite and knew what she was doing. The signup was great and I left feeling a winner.

Problems arose when I was told that I could not deposit my cheque on my new account because the bank system was down. Well, being in the IT sector, I understood and thanked the lady with a promise to bank the cheque the following day.

I went to the bank the following day as promised and was told the system was still down. I could not bank my cheque. I was advised to try the next day.

The third day, I went to the bank and joined the queue and after about 3o minutes of queuing up, was told my account was not ready. I was upset so I called the lady that helped me open the account. She offered to bank the cheque for me. She even gave me my account number. Once again, I left feeling a winner. I was very sure that after 3 days, I would have money on my account. In Uganda, cheques take 4 working days to mature; however, this was an internal cheque so I knew it would mature after 2 days.

After 3 days, I went to the bank to withdraw money and as usual, queued up for about 45 minutes but was told that I need to wait for 7 working days. I was really disappointed. 7 working days for an internal cheque?? I asked for any alternatives and was told to write to the bank requesting to withdraw money. I was further informed that the letter must be on headed paper. I decided to just wait for the seven working days.

After 7 working days, I went back to the bank and queued up for an hour. When my time came, I was told that I have to write to the bank on headed paper requesting to withdraw the money. The reason was that my account was considered a company account hence the need for headed paper. My explanations that I was a sole proprietor and sole signatory to that account were in vain. I was really disappointed for this was now towards two weeks since I banked the cheque.

I returned to the bank that afternoon, with a letter introducing me to the bank on headed paper written and signed by me. I was still disappointed and I believe it showed on my face. The lady that helped me was very polite and went an extra mile to ensure that I get the money. However, the teller refused to dispatch the money on grounds that my letter did not indicate the account number. This was beyond.
I was lost for words. It was now past six pm (This particular branch of Standard Chartered opens till 7pm)

It was then that I requested to see the manager of the branch. I had run out of ideas and wanted advice.

The manager was very supportive and he immediately signed my letter. With the manager’s signature, I headed to the teller who immediately gave me the money. I breathed a sigh of relief and left the bank.

Though I still believe that Standard Charted is a great bank, unless they improve, this kind of stressing clients will drive many clients away from the bank.

THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH!!!

2009-09-18T00:54:00.000-07:00

This can be only Uganda. This is beyond. I have no words. Comments please!!

Mufuruki Officially

2009-09-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

I finally got the T-shirt. Thanks to Tumwijukye Mutambuka who led me to Joe. You can get a T-shirt from Joe - 0751811479 at just 8K.

For those of you who have no clue about all this hassle of Bafuruki, well, its a term used in Uganda to refer to those people who are not living on their ancestors' land.

Though we all qualify to be Bafuruki here in uganda, it has emerged of recent, that some Bafuruki are less Bafuruki than others hence they are chasing the more Bafuruki away from the land!!! Typical animal Farm Scenario - All animals are equal but some are more equal than others. Yah Right!!!!!

Hmmmm, mbu some Bafuruki are less Bafuruki than others. The T-shirts are just a symbol to remind everyone that we are all Bafuruki.

Let it be known that I am officially a Mufuruki - Just one of them!. And you?? are you one??

Is this my real journey? If so to where?

2009-07-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

“It may be when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.” – Wendell Berry

I recalled the above quote as I stared up perplexed. It’s past 2:00 AM and I know that I ought to be in bed. But I have lots to do. The time is not enough. With less than a week to my final exams, I have not read enough. I need to go through all the 6 modules. I must read and understand them in order to be able to comfortably sit for my final Post Graduate exams.

But that’s not all – I have other deadlines, project related deadlines, lots of lines of code to write; Lots of updates; lots of patches to apply and to be available to offer support whenever I am called upon.

Though I love a fast and challenging life style, at times like now, when most of the world is sleeping, I look up and just stare, pondering what to do next, for one thing is certain, I need to re-focus my life, to re-plan my next course of action. I believe that though I cannot do all, I am able to do something – to at least meet one target.

I know you are wondering why I have to be in such a fix – well, the plain truth is that I love challenges and have always believed that I can handle. But truth be told, at times, like now, I really don’t know which part to start from, which direction to take; For all are urgent and none can be extended. I cannot push my exams, nor can I push this International Conference that I am involved in, so what does one do in such a case?

Maybe it’s indeed true as Wendell Berry put it: “It may be when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.”

Is this my real journey? If so to where? As I stare into space, in my room, trying to map a way, all I hear is stillness, everyone else in the neighborhood is asleep. I honestly see no way – has my real journey begun??

University Courses and Career Development

2009-05-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

It was on a Sunday, May 17, 2009, that the news spread all over the Country -Makerere University, the biggest University in Uganda, released the names of those privileged to be sponsored by the government starting this year 2009.

Normally those are the students that excelled in their A’ level exams. In total the government sponsors about 4,000 students in every year.

At times, however, the university offers students the courses that they never wanted to do. Some students take the courses all the same, others, just refuse and opt to do other courses.

Many people believe that for one to be successful, they must do certain courses. I too believed so until completed University.

I believed in the traditional courses of Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture and Education. Like many people, I believed that a sure way to head for failure was to join university to undertake any other course but the traditional courses.

But after graduating, I realized that no matter the course taken, whether the traditional courses or the modern courses such as Information Technology, success depends more on the personal character of the person than the course they pursued at University.

Many organizations don’t even want to know which university one went too, all they need is the person to have the skills required. They will hire and pay for the skill not the level of education or the status of the university one went too. Others will pay for the skill coupled with personal character of the individual. In short, the personal character of an individual really counts more than the status of the university.

And due to competition, thousands of students undertake the same courses. This provides a fertile recruitment base where employers make judgments of who to employ based on the grades obtained as well as the personal character of the individual. And since thousands of students graduate every year, it’s the character of each individual that will determine.

In conclusion, personal character, skills obtained and great grades are more important than the course one undertakes or the status of the University. With the right character for any particular job, a candidate will definitely be successful.

Memories from the Past.......

2009-03-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

“What do I do?” I thought, “How on earth do I tell this nun that I cannot eat any more food.” Of course I could have told her in my own mother tongue; Rukiiga – that was the only language I knew back then and it was the only language that I could speak.

But that was not possible at that time. I had been moved to this new school – St. Maria Goretti Preparatory School and I had been fore warned not to speak any other language apart from English.

I had been surviving in the new school by merely listening to the bell – this was easy because even in my old village school there was one, and by following the mob, I would then end up in the right place.

But this particular time was different. It was one on one. There was no mob to follow. There was no bell to listen to. The nun was standing on my table and I could see her mouth open and close and hear some sounds – I never understood a thing of what she said, it was all in English.

The nun continued to speak and I saw my fellow pupils finish their food and leave the dining hall. I soon realized that she was asking all pupils to complete their meal and leave the dining hall. I was already satisfied and so I decided to leave the dining hall as well. She shouted at me with a very tough face. I got scared and sat down at once and pretended to eat. That did the trick. As long as I pretended to eat, she never shouted at me.

Soon the dining hall was left with only two pupils – I and some other boy called Nicholas. The nun sat down and was not showing any signs of moving away. Now I clearly knew what she wanted. But I was too satisfied to complete all the potatoes on my plate.

I wanted to tell her that I was satisfied; that I had had enough food; to explain to her that the cooks had put a lot of food on my plate. But how could I do all that explanation in English? I only knew a few common words such as tree, box, cow, dog, cat, fly e.t.c – most of the words I knew in English were actually 3 letter words that I had learnt from my old village school.

I decided to ask the other boy, Nicholas, who was also trying to finish his food. But how would I do it? I could not speak a sentence in English. I resolved to eat the food. I pushed a handful of potatoes in my mouth and swallowed. I felt like throwing up. I knew no one liked that; even home, I was always punished for throwing up. But I had to complete the food if I had to get past the nun.

Then all of a sudden, Nicholas stood up and uttered words in English. The nun replied and then took away both our plates – neither I nor Nicholas had completed our food. I was puzzled.

No sooner had she left than I followed Nicholas out of the dining hall. I went straight to bed; determined to learn English by all means the next day.

p/s:

I met Nicholas recently on the street(hence my posting of this story, the memories of that day in April 1991 when he rescued me all came back in a flash). He works at Uganda House. It was such a surprise - I had last seen him in
1995. He has no clue of the above mentioned incident - and he is not the type who reads blogs.

That day is so vivid in my memory - it was in April 1991 (Actually I even recall that it was raining) so when I saw Nicholas recently, the memories came back - and I realized how far I have come. I got to know later that Nicholas told the nun that we were satisfied hence the nun let us leave the dining room.

It is better to be alone than in the wrong company

2009-03-04T02:13:00.000-08:00

If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.

Though a mirror reflects a man’s face, what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses. The simple but true fact about life is that we become like those with whom we closely associate – for the good and the bad.

The less we associate with some people, the more our lives will improve. An important attribute with successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.

Remember that as you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They want you to stay where they are. Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will either stretch your vision or choke your dream.

Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you. Actually never receive counsel from unproductive people (They are always willing to provide it. One wonders why they don’t advise themselves and get better!) Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. Not even me! Never follow anyone not going anywhere.

Remember that with some people you spend an evening, while with others, you invest it. Always be careful where you stop to inquire for directions on the path of life.
For wise is the person that fortifies his life with the right friendships. As iron sharpens iron, so does man sharpen man.

Always choose your friends, never allow your friends to choose you. And be ready to let them go if they are NOT helping you realize your dream or NOT contributing to your vision.

For it’s better to be alone than in the wrong company.

Standing by the Decisions that we make

2009-01-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

There comes a time in life when one has to make a decision that differs from the common acceptable norms of the community. Actually the people who have no self confidence will never make such a decision. They cannot withstand the pressure.

Recently I was faced with such a scenario. I was invited to attend a social function. Most of my old good friends were invited too. And from the onset, it looked like a Grand Get together for old friends. Most of the invited guys were looking forward to the Grand Day and the excitement could be felt in the mails that were exchanged in the build up for the Grand Day.

Having decided to dedicate this year to my academic path, I was faced with a challenge of spending a few hours at a social function or spending the same few hours preparing for my exams. Most of my good friends could not believe that I could fail to spare a few hours and attend a social function. To them, that was a sign of boycotting the function. Some went further to suggest that I never attend functions that I have not organized. Others wondered why I would not attend since the social function was not scheduled on the same day as the exams. One good friend called me on phone and assured me how she had not bought the idea of my not attending the social function due to my exam preparations. To her, I was telling lies!

It was then that I realized how life’s events have changed me. I recalled the time about a year ago when I decided to refocus my life. I chose to follow a certain path. I decided to close all other doors that where leading me away from the path of life that I had chosen to follow. This was the only way to focus on just one goal and peruse it with no distractions. Unfortunately this particular social function though good was on the doors that I had decided to close.

Unknown to most of my friends was the fact that when I did refocus my life; I gave up my social life so as to create time for my academic ambitions. Being a full time employee, full time student and a full time freelance programmer and consultant leaves me with no time for social functions. I don’t have time for TV or even Movies. I use my snippets of free time to check on my family and close friends – yes, I have a couple of friends that I am hooked too –including Atwooki, whom I met just a month ago but has touched my life with her kindness. These friends of mine understand my life priorities and have been a source of guidance and inspiration.

I thus had to uphold my decisions and spend the time preparing for my exams while my old friends were having fun at the social function.

I can only hope that one day; my old good friends will understand the reasons that made me refocus my life. Only then will they understand why I had to sacrifice my social life in exchange for my academic ambitions.(maybe then I will not be labeled a liar!) For it is through pursuing my academic ambitions that I will be able to take good care of those that Mother Nature has bestowed upon me. Unlike many of my old friends, Mother Nature blessed me with responsibilities at a very young age and I am forever grateful.

For life’s events will always dictate on how we live our lives. At times life even pushes one in a corner so that one is forced to make certain decisions but those decisions have to be upheld by us the individuals.

Even if it means going against the norms of society or letting go of the old traditions that you held dear or letting down your great friends. Always know that focusing is closing all other doors and going through just one door. I hope you know which doors to close.

And be ready to accept the repercussions that will arise once you uphold your decisions. For the pot that wants to eat the fats must have its bottom scotched.

Modern Refugees

2008-12-08T10:03:00.000-08:00

A story is told of a young fish that heard its parents mention how beautiful and big the ocean was. The young fish then set out to search for the ocean. It wanted to find that big ocean with lots of water and lots of other fish too. It looked forward to finding a place where it would be loved and feel at home. It yearned for that beautiful ocean. In its search, it asked many a fish on the way, but most of them being young, could not help this particular fish locate the ocean. So the young fish determined to find the ocean went on asking all the fish it came across with no success. However, on its search, it met a very old fish and as usual asked the same question it had been asking all the other fish: “ Could you please direct me on the right path to the ocean”, the old fish was perturbed and replied, “why are you searching for the ocean little one?”, “because the ocean is beautiful”, replied the young fish. “Yes little one, the ocean is beautiful indeed”, answered the old fish, “But you are in that beautiful ocean right now, all oceans are the same, which ocean are u looking for?” “I am not in the ocean” replied the little fish, “All I see is just water around me.”
Like the little Fish, many of us are looking forward to that time when we shall have peace, when we shall be in great loving relationship, when we shall have lots of money, when we shall have a great family. Many of us are looking forward to when we shall complete school, when we shall buy land or build a house; in short we are looking forward to that beautiful ocean that the little fish was looking for so as to start living a great life.
Truth is that like the little fish, we are living in that exact ocean that we are looking for. For life is about the little small things that we do daily. The ones that go unnoticed are the ones that actually define who we are.
But because we are ever looking for something to make us happy, something to make us better, we keep on searching and searching for that which we think will make us happy. We have become refugees in our own lives.
Maybe soon, when we finally get what we are searching for, we shall find that peace and love and that we all long for.
But in the event that we fail, shall we go on searching until we die?? I believe that if we do search with one heart, like the little fish, we shall find the answers, maybe not as we expected but we shall find the answers. And we shall find that peace and love that we are all looking for.

I am still on that journey, a journey of learning and discovering the waters around me, maybe like the little fish, I hope one day to find that answer that will make realize that indeed the waters that I have been swimming in is the ocean that I have been looking for. But until then, I will keep on searching and searching for the ocean. And you should too.

Coding and Relationships

2008-06-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

It has always been said that coders are never good at relationships. The reasons given are that coders never see their profession as work but as hobby. They enjoy writing code – whether it’s commercial or open source, coders will definitely enjoy writing code. They will be on their laptops all day and all night.
Like sports fellows, they celebrate and jubilate when a certain given functionality that they have been working on works as expected and are stressed if it does not work out. They will spend their entire working hours coding and even do overtime - which to them is not overtime at all since most of them just love writing code.
They will normally have a real meal twice or once a week. Most times coders don’t want to leave their work stations so they settle for tea, water , biscuits, bread and lots of junk food like crisps and chapatti. Real meals are the last things in their plans. They code all day and do long hours of coding in the night till the wee hours of the morning when they get some little sleep.
They socialize by chatting as they code. They read and write blogs as am doing now and answer all questions posted in forums. They are normally in T-shirts and jeans – have no time to iron and stuff like cuff links make no sense to them.
Their lives are centered on coding, chatting, blogging and posting on forums. They have many friends whom they have never met but whom they communicate with on a daily basis via forums, blogs and chat.
So how do such coders manage relationships?? This is the question that I am trying to answer. We all know that girls and women in general love to be given time – that’s how they judge that one really loves them. Yet these coders have no free time – they just cannot afford to lose their minutes listening to women talk – you know that kind of talk, about weddings, fashion, TV soaps and all that crap. And when the coder opens his blackberry and starts chatting with fellow geeks, the girls get offended and complain that he does not love them – only if they knew that he has sacrificed a lot by listening to them that far.
Women should understand the kind of life coders live and never try to change it. All they need is to decide to love the package. I believe love changes all and coders are no exception. Though they may not give the women all their time as most other men do, they will show that they love their women. And this is where women fail to understand. If only women understood that coders just love writing code. That they write code as a hobby, that they are driven by passion to write the code; That they cannot compete with the passion that coders have for their code, maybe we would have many coders In great relationships – for truth is that many coders are poor at relationships (including myself).
All in all, coders need to balance between coding and their love relationships – and it’s a matter of choice. Nothing else. Both the coder and the other party need to make the choice. It’s not a singe person’s decision.
Till next time.

Innocent Kazooba

A Coder's Desire to be heard

2008-05-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

I do accept that I have been quiet on this blog. Well, do not think that my desire to be heard has died or been surpassed by other desires – nothing like that. It has instead grown.

As a student, I was always inspired by great people whose blogs I used to read. You know those blogs where guys write a whole five pages or more on a topic. I would admire them. I always promised myself that I would be a blogger some day. That like them, I would influence many a mind of upcoming developers and coders. That I would point them to the right direction and consequently guide them so that they become the best they can be. I dreamed of having an audience of young upcoming developers and coders whom I could guide so that they find the road smother than I found it.

In my two years of blogging, I have no audience so far. I know many guys read my blogs, but they do not subscribe to my school of thought. In other words my blogs are read by the wrong audience.

I have, however, in my two years of blogging learnt plenty of lessons and gained a little more wisdom. I now respect guys who blog constantly and consistently because I fully understand the time these guys put in to research, prepare and present the various topics that they blog about. The time alone is a major factor.

I am not a consistent blogger – maybe that’s why I have no audience yet, but I still find it hard to keep up the pace. I do have lots of material for blogging but the time to prepare that material is now becoming so scarce, though the desire to blog is as strong as ever.

So I have decided to change my strategy of blogging. I am going to start blogging about my personal experience. I will blog about the things that make me happy, the things that challenge me – you know that piece of code that takes you two weeks to write, or that function that just cannot return the expected values, well , I will I write about such things and anything that comes to my mind.

Who knows, maybe then, I will get an audience. For I just have a burning desire to be heard, to influence people either through talks or through blogging. I am what I am today because of the many blogs that I read. I have come upon both good material and bad material on blogs. But I decided long time ago to always pick out the good blogs, the constructive and developmental ones. I have always neglected the bad blogs – those blogs where guys blog about nonsense. Am sure you know what I am talking about.

And since you have read up to this point, then you probably found this particular blog interesting otherwise you could not have reached here. Look out for the next blog. It will be about me – challenges, love, joys, code, sorrows and all that.

Till then, Kazooba Innocent Kaheru