Rift Valley

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Rift Valley

***** Location: Kenya and neighbouring countries
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Earth

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Explanation



For most Nairobians, the Rift Valley is where you pass when you take the Trans African Highway from Nairobi westwards, if you wish to visit the town of Naivasha or the city of Nakuru or any other towns and cities beyond -- including those in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the DR Congo.

The Rift Valley is huge -- the two walls forming either side of the rift, are very far apart. In between lies a fertile plain, filled with volcanoes, lakes and famous national parks. The lakes are especially famous for birds, including millions of flamingoes. Much of the Kenyan dairy industry lies here. The flower growers of Lake Naivasha export roses all over the world. The ascent on the other side provides land for wheat growing, followed by the large expanse of tea plantations around Kericho. Because of the depth of the rift, geo-thermal energy is also tapped and fed into the national grid.

The road which most travellers now take into the Rift, is a new one, built post-independence during the Kenyatta era, and provides spectacular views, including a glimpse into the inside of the extinct volcano Mount Longonot. The older road is even more picturesque, as it winds its way down serpentine bends into the valley -- both roads rejoin in Naivasha.

The city of Nakuru, which has been famous for its 7-km long jacaranda avenue, planted pre- and post-independence, has recently lost most of this treasure, cut down by the contractors commissioned to widen the road. The mayor of Nakuru is furious, and there has been a public outcry -- it is hoped that the jacaranda will be replanted and that, 40 years hence, their beauty may be restored.

Historically, the Rift Valley has been the scene of many land disputes, continuing occasionally today with so-called “tribal clashes”, often involving Kalenjin and Kikuyus, sometimes also Maasai.

The haiku below were written by Nairobians travelling into the Rift, either to visit one of the parks, or to stay with family up-country.

Text © Isabelle Prondzynski

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View from Mount Longonot, with the Rift Valley in the background

© PHOTO　www.tamasha-afrika.com/Kenya

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RIFT VALLEY REGION

The Kenyan Rift Valley is a section of 6 000 km rift system which stretches from the Dead Sea in the Middle East, south through the Red Sea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and into Mozambique.

Major geological upheavals caused a series of lakes in Kenya, some of which (Turkana, Naivasha and Baringo) are freshwater, but the others are soda lakes, with a high saline content. These are rich in algae and tiny crustaceans, which are the main food sources for the millions of flamingos gracing the lakes.

The upheavals also resulted in the sprouting of volcanic mountains, including Longonot and Mt Kenya. The scenery in the Rift Valley is breathtaking and the approach, via road or rail, from Nairobi will take you up gently through the highlands and bring you suddenly to the edge of the Rift valley, which drops away to a ribbon of green in the valley floor below.
http://www.go2africa.com/kenya/rift-valley/

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Great Rift Valley -- from Wikipedia

The Great Rift Valley is a vast geographical and geological feature, approximately 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi) in length, which runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in East Africa. Caused by the geological process of rifting, it is a complex feature where several plates of the earth's crust join. The rift valley varies in width from thirty to one hundred kilometers, and in depth from a few hundred to several thousand meters.

The great rift system extends from Lebanon in the north to Mozambique in the south.

The Western Rift, also called the Albertine Rift, is edged by some of the highest mountains in Africa, including the Virunga Mountains, Mitumba Mountains, and Ruwenzori Range. It contains the Rift Valley lakes, which include some of the deepest lakes in the world (up to 1,470 meters deep at Lake Tanganyika). Lake Victoria, the second largest area freshwater lake in the world, is considered part of the Rift Valley system although it actually lies between the two branches. All of the African Great Lakes were formed as the result of the rift, and most lie within its rift valley.

In Kenya the valley is deepest to the north of Nairobi. As the lakes in the Eastern Rift have no outlet to the sea, these lakes tend to be shallow and have a high mineral content as the evaporation of water leaves the salts behind. For example, Lake Magadi has high concentrations of soda (sodium carbonate) and Lake Elmenteita, Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, and Lake Nakuru are all strongly alkaline, while Lake Naivasha needs to be supplied by freshwater springs to support its biological variety.

The volcanic activity at this site and unusual concentration of hotspots has produced the volcanic mountains Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, Mount Karisimbi, Mount Nyiragongo, Mount Meru and Mount Elgon as well as the Crater Highlands in Tanzania. The Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano remains active, and is currently the only natrocarbonatite volcano in the world.

The Rift Valley has been a rich source of fossils that allow study of human evolution, especially in an area known as Piedmont. Because the rapidly eroding highlands have filled the valley with sediments, a favorable environment for the preservation of remains has been created. The bones of several hominid ancestors of modern humans have been found there, including those of "Lucy", a nearly complete australopithecine skeleton, which was discovered by anthropologist Donald Johanson. Richard and Mary Leakey have also done significant work in this region.

More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Flamingoes on Lake Bogoria
©　PHOTO www.tamasha-afrika.com/Kenya

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

Rift Valley Fever is thus called because it was first identified in the Rift Valley of Kenya. Meanwhile, it has been found in other areas of Africa.

More here :
Rift Valley Fever, a haiku topic

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HAIKU

into the Rift --
our struggling bus
gathers speed

Naivasha --
surrounded by Naivasha thorns
in bloom

Rift Valley railway --
a single rail runs
through the bush

here and there
white clouds drift over
the vast Rift

from here
to the distant horizon
bush and hamlets

into the bush --
here and there a track
goes somewhere

Elmentaita --
the pink of flamingoes
drifts in stripes

a veil of rain
drifts over the Rift Valley --
August afternoon

~ Isabelle Prondzynski

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pine needles
whistling in the cool breeze --
Rift Valley highlands

sightseers winding
up their evening picnic --
grey sunset

misty green blue hills --
the bus struggles up the winding
tarmac road

the winding road
between pine and cypress forests--
cool misty highlands

two barefooted ladies
pad on soft green grass--
cool highland breeze

~ Patrick Wafula

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Patrick Wafula writes in August 2009

I would like to comment in advance that for those who have not practically visited this part of our country since the after poll ethnic violence in which more than 1,133 people lost their lives, they cannot appreciate the magnitude of this disaster, which has been exacerbated by the prolonged drought, on human beings.
At first I could not believe my eyes when I saw those IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) tents in clusters and the throngs of haggard people dejectedly sitting outside; I could also not believe immediately the expansive landscape of farms without houses; there are only tiny mabati houses with Kenya Red Cross logo across their roofs on some farms.
And then there are these desolate burnt houses and buildings dotting the landscape on the roadsides and the farms; the scenes stretch all the way from Nakuru, Elburgon, Burnt Forest to Eldoret.
Let the rest be said by haiku:


with empty sacks
refugees queue for relief food--
the Kenya Red Cross

scarred buildings
where houses and shops once stood--
IDP tents

IDP tents dotting
the Rift Valley without crops--
scorching sun

emaciated cattle
browsing on dry dusty grass--
a cloudless blue sky

a scorching sun--
scorched dwarfed maize
tasseling without fruit

landless and homeless
IDPs sit outside their torn tents--
I weep for my country


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Patrick Wafula writes in April 2010

Recently, after I arrived in Nairobi from Arusha, my 69 year-old Magdalene and my three sisters, Nangila, Nanjala and Nekesa stopped over at our Nairobi residence on their way from Makueni in Eastern Province, where they had gone to visit their sitawa (in-laws). So the night of Sunday 25th April was very special to us as we spent it together telling stories and catching up on family-social affairs. These wonderful moments brought us fantastic images from our home village, Nyasi Farm in the Rift Valley. Let me share some of these moments, especially the humorous ones, with you.
I would love to do it our way, the haiku way:

village story--
neighbours turn mosquito nets
into seat covers

a neighbour converts
mosquito net into a fishing net--
village story

first time in city--
she asks the cafe waiter
to bring the kettle

I am not able to share the real-time humour in the above haiku, but I will try to explain, starting with the first two: mosquito nets. It happens that Rift Valley, being the highest malaria infested zone in the country, the Ministry of Health is trying very hard to keep the disease at bay by supplying free treated mosquito nets to the residents there. Now look what our semi-illiterate and illiterate Rift Valley village folks, in their innovation, can do with them!

Now to the third haiku. My mother, being the brilliant and eccentric villager she is could not withstand being served tea without seeing the kettle, in that cafe; she was greatly puzzled by the manners of these urbanites who do not value something called good faith. Because, traditionally, in the village that is, one has to see the common kettle or plate from which the tea or food is served; and if you happen to serve a drink or food in cups or plates, you have to taste it first before handing it to your guest. This is what my mother calls good faith.

But even after two mugs of tea and two mandazi each in the Country Bus Station Cafe, it was not enough breakfast for my upcountry folk, who had also carried their own trusted traditional stuff just in case.

after tea and mandazi--
boiled cassava and sweet
potatoes follow

smoked meat--
childhood memories of
the blackened clay pot

Now to the just ended April holidays haiku. It has been full of heavy rains, which brought us bounties.

orange sunset--
children stalking grasshoppers
in the tall grass

contented car washers--
parking of muddy vehicles
scribbled with wash me

the miller's price tag--
fifty shs. for 2 kg of maize
plus grinding

late night shopping--
the milk hawker's shrill call
of buy two get one free

Patrick Wafula




Mandazi is similar to doughnuts

. Mandazi and Haiku



Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called yuca or manioc
Cassava in the WIKIPEDIA !


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Patrick Wafula writes in January 2011

ploughed farms—
leafless flame trees standing
in scarlet blooms

cold midnight—
women sell Irish potatoes
on the roadside

midnight mist—
moth after moth bump
into bus headlights

two oblivious zebras
slowly cross the road—
screeching brakes


full moon—
playing children’s song
floats on still air


two little girls collecting
maize stalks for firewood—
orange sunset

broken maize stalks—
dry merry gold rustling
in dusty whirlwind

a lone farmer collects
and burns maize stalks—
tilled farms


dusty whirlwind—
a Ford tractor towing
a disc plough



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. Trip to the Rift Valley in March, 2011 　


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in Makueni in the Eastern Province

dry riverbed--
sweating women crashing
stones in the sun

Patrick Wafula
July 2011


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Related words

***** Lake Magadi

***** Hell's Gate

***** Kajiado Mission

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Ramadan ends (Idd ul Fitr)

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Idd ul Fitr (Ramadan ends)

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: varies according to the Muslim calendar
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Arabic spelling: Eid-Al-Fitr

Idd ul Fitr is the joyful festival at which Muslims celebrate the breaking of the fast of Ramadhan. In Kenya, where Muslims constitute about 20 % of the population, this is a national public holiday for all, and for the non Muslims it is a welcome day of rest with no particular activities. Offices and banks close, but most of the shops and places of entertainment open, to benefit from the day of leisure enjoyed by their customers.

During the Idd day or days (the public holiday may fall on the day following the actual Idd declared by the Chief Kadhi of Kenya at the first sighting of the crescent moon), the Nairobi cityscape features many Muslim men wearing the white kanzu as well as Muslim women in their finery. More Kenyan Muslim women have recently taken to wearing black, but the majority don bright colours and flowing robes which suit with African styles of clothing. The Idd therefore adds a touch of celebration to the Nairobi streets, as well as a sense of joy and happiness.

For Muslims, the day starts either with an open air celebration in the Sir Ali Muslim Club and similar venues in the other major cities, or within the main mosques, such as the Jamia Mosque of Nairobi. Topical matters may be addressed in the sermons, such as (in 2005) the imminent constitutional referendum.

The Idd-ul-Fitr moves within the calendar year by about half a month each year, so that it follows the previous Idd-ul-Fitr after about eleven and a half months.

Isabelle Prondzynski

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Sisters Hawa and Ayman Ramadan (right) celebrate after attending Idd-ul-Fitr prayers at Loota Mosque in Mombasa to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan yesterday.
Photo : Gideon Maundu
Daily Nation, 4 November 2005

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Muslims to mark Idd next Friday

Story by NATION Correspondent
Publication Date: 27 October 2005

Friday November 4 has been declared a public holiday to celebrate Idd-ul-Fitr.

Civil service head Francis Muthaura made the announcement in the Kenya Gazette.

One of the biggest holidays for Muslims, Idd-ul-Fitr, is marked at the end of Ramadhan -- the 30-day period of fasting and prayer -- which began in the first week of October.

The holiday falls on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month in the Muslim calendar and is marked all over the world with great joy and festivities.

Idd means "recurring happiness or festivity" and fitr means "to begin". Iftar means "the breaking of the fast" and from these comes the name Idd-ul-Fitr.

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=60195

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Muslims mark Idd-Ul-Fitr

By Alex Kiprotich, East African Standard
5 November 2005

Muslims yesterday thronged mosques for special prayers to mark the end of Ramadhan.

There was a festive mood in Nairobi as hundreds of Muslims clad in white kanzus and caps hugged one another after prayers led by Sheikh Ishak Ahmed at Jamia mosque.

Due to controversy over the sighting of the moon some of the Muslims marked the day on Thursday.

Women who turned up for the prayers had their hands beautifully decorated with henna designs and put on expensive jewellery.

"This is a very special day in Islamic Calendar and all faithful must look decent in the eyes of Allah," said Mwanaisha Zubedi.

The day, associated with large family gatherings over tasty meals and gifts for children, marks the end of one-month long fasting for Muslims.

Traders at Kiamaiko goat market did booming business.
Prices were increased from Sh 2,500 to Sh 3,500 per goat.

"Business is good today because many people are going to celebrate the end of fast and they do not care about prices," said a businessman.

Delivering the last khutbah of Ramadhan the imam of Nairobi's Jamia Masjid, sheikh Muhammad Swalihu, called for unity among Muslims.

He told them to shun violence during the referendum campaigns.

http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=31699

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Mr Ali Suleiman is all smiles after buying a goat for Idd-Ul-Fitr celebrations at Kiamako market, in Nairobi yesterday.
(East African Standard, 5 November 2005)

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Muslims pack mosques to mark Ramadan end

Reports by Elisha Otieno, Abdulsamad Ali and Mark Agutu
Publication Date: 5 November 2005

Muslims yesterday turned up in large numbers across the country to mark Idd-ul-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The chief kadhi, Sheikh Hammad Kassim, led them in prayers at mosques and other grounds as part of celebrations to mark the end of the annual fasting period on the Muslim calendar. He and other religious leaders prayed for peace and unity among Muslims in particular and Kenyans in general as the country prepares for the Constitution referendum on November 21.

In Nairobi, thousands in religious garb, were full of joy as they thronged the city centre after prayers at Jamia Mosque and other places of worship.

In Mombasa, the chief kadhi called for unity among Muslims, saying that they had not been spared the division as a result of the referendum debate.

"It is not true that there are black and Arab Muslims, or Muslims of this and that tribe; we are equal because we profess the same faith", he said as he addressed the annual Idd baraza, which was attended also by mayor Taib Ali Taib.

Sheikh Mohammed Idriss, the chairman of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), urged the faithful to reject people out to divide them along tribal or racial lines.

In Migori, the faithful congregated at Migori Muslim Primary School for a service and addresses by their leaders.

The leaders called for an end to the referendum campaign violence.

Migori mayor Junet Mohammed and Muslim leader Ebrahim Omar Hussein asked politicians to preach peace and stop making divisive and inflammatory remarks.

He asked the chief kadhi and imams to fix the dates for the beginning and closure of Ramadan, saying that there was confusion as Muslims mark them earlier or later.

(c) Daily Nation
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=60831

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From left, Abdul Wahab (9), Ibrahim Ahmed (10) and Haidar Munawar (9) hug each other during the Id-ul-Fitri celebrations at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru Town yesterday to mark the end of Ramadhan by Muslims.
Photo : Joseph Kiheri
Daily Nation, 4 November 2005



Mohammed Hassani plays "matari", an Islamic religious drum, during Idd-ul-Fitr celebrations at Treasury Square, Mombasa, yesterday.
Photo : Jack Owuor
Saturday Nation, 5 November 2005

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Ramadan in 2012
will start on Friday, the 20th of July and will continue for 30 days until Saturday, the 18th of August.

Based on sightability in North America, in 2012 Ramadan will start in North America a day later - on Saturday, the 21st of July.

Note that in the Muslim calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Ramadan on the sunset of Thursday, the 19th of July.
source :　www.when-is.com


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Worldwide use

Eid Al Fitr
Muslims have two major celebrations in the year. Both are called Eid (meaning celebration). Eid Al-Fitr, or the Celebration of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is the month of fasting.

Eid Al-Fitr is the celebration that comes at the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting, every day from dawn until sunset. The Islamic Calendar follows the moon and so each year, the dates are shifted forwards by about eleven days in the normal calendar. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year, and is followed by Shawal. The first three days of Shawal are the Eid days.

Zakat-ul-Fitr is a small amount that Muslims are obliged to pay as charity at the end of the month of Ramadan.

Read more here:
http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/eid.htm


Eid ul-Fitr - from the Wikipedia

Ramadan as a kigo.

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

a cup of tea
to celebrate the Idd --
two Irish nuns

Isabelle Prondzynski

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Rows of lighted lamps
Flowers lovingly planted
Eid mubarak

Interestingly, the first week in November in 2005 has three religions celebrating a time to remember and contemplate -- All Saints, Ramadan and Diwali.

Anthony Tidswell
http://francevoila.com/archives/118.html


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across the street
a Muslim brushes his shoes --
Idd morning


Idd morning—
her henna design stretches
to her palm

Idd photos—
they enter the studio
in turns

Caleb Mutua
September 2011


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Soweto Mosque-
a large poster at the wall
written Happy Idd Ul Fitr

Idd ul fitr-
a muslim man sharpens
his panga knife

Soweto market-
a muslim man buys
a fat goat

Brian Mulando
August 2012


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From behind the clouds --
the crescent moon prompts
peace on earth


Written on the occasion of Id. August 2013
Kumarendra Mallick



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Related words

***** Ramadan



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Ramadan in Kenya

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Ramadan in Kenya

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Varies from year to year (Muslim calendar)
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Kenya’s Muslim population is distributed unevenly throughout the country and is by far the most numerous in Mombasa and along the Indian Ocean coast. In Nairobi, Muslims constitute some 10 percent of the population, many of whom (particularly those with Somali roots) are concentrated in Eastleigh, while others (with roots in Pakistan) live in Pangani and others again are scattered throughout the city.

The introduction following below was drafted and compiled by the Peacocks Haiku Club of St Mathew Secondary School, Kayole (Nairobi), and was orally presented as a haibun on 3 November 2006. It has been only slightly edited by me for this kigo page.

A big THANK YOU to the Peacocks!

Isabelle Prondzynski



Photo by Patrick Wafula, 2006

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What is Ramadhan?
It is the holy month in which Muslims worldwide fast for normally thirty days. The days of fasting start and end with the sighting of the crescent moon by the Imams.

The action of fasting is called saumu. Muslims wish each other saumu makbol, happy feasting, or successful fasting.

saumu makbol --
muslims in white robes
whisper to each other
Ann Nechesa

Expectations during the month of Ramadhan

Muslims are supposed to fast from dawn to dusk. They are not to take anything, not even by swallowing excess saliva :

men and women
with dry lips and full of silence --
scent of delicious meals
Husseini Haji

However, there is a group exempted from the fast and allowed to eat. This includes those seriously sick, women having their monthly periods, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and babies.

smell of garlic
pregnant sister throws up --
her face is wrinkled
Loise Wangechi

Muslims try not to engage in any sinful activities whatsoever.

They do much praying as they believe that Ramadhan is the month of seeking forgiveness.

allah akbar --
sound the horn speakers,
dawn and noon prayers
Jelidah Kerubo

The time they start fasting each morning is called Suhur and the time they stop fasting each evening is called Iftar. These times depend on sunrise and sunset in the relevant place and are given each day in the Press and on television following the news bulletins. Even within Kenya, each location has its own Ramadhan timetable.

wake up! wake up!
it is time for daku
mum calls at night
Khadija Rajab

(daku is a meal served at 4.00 am -- it is a heavy meal)



Married couples are not supposed to indulge in sexual activities during the day, as the act is considered sinful.

Ramadhan in Kayole and Soweto

During Ramadhan, the Peacocks observe the following things in their own environment :

(1) Markets are full
This is caused by the Muslims who go shopping for their foodstuffs to cook at night.

all day fasting --
shopping in the evening,
food aromas at night
Alex Murage

(2) Prices of foodstuffs increase
Sellers increase their prices due to the increase in customers (Muslims).

having meals together
and being kind to all people --
it is Ramadhan again
Husseini Haji

(3) Much spitting of saliva
As Muslims are not allowed to swallow the excess saliva, they have to spit it out.

(4) Shying away from work
Although during Ramadhan Muslims are expected to work, some shy away from work and remain passive through the day.

(5) Multitudes visit the Mosque
The number of Muslims visiting the Mosque tends to rise abruptly.

allah akbar --
sound the horn speakers,
dawn and noon prayers
Jelidah Kerubo

The Mosque programme changes as follows :

5.00 am Fajir (two rakaats)
1.00 pm Dhuhur (four rakaats)
4.00 pm Asir (four rakaats)
6.00 pm Magharib (three rakaats)
8.00 pm Isha (four rakaats)

Rakaats : These are the number of times that the worshipper bows down. The rakaats are compulsory and the above are the minimum times per visit.

Taraweh : This is the longest prayer, prayed at 8.00 pm during Ramadhan only and comprising of 21 rakaats. It is not compulsory.

Tahajud : This is a prayer consisting of 8 rakaats, of which one rakaat can take twenty minutes. Prayed only during Ramadhan.

bending in mosques
obeying rules of fasting --
it is Al-Ramadhan again
Beth Mwangi

(6) Men, women and children shine
During the holy month, men put on kanzus (white gowns), women put on buibuis (black wrappers) and diras, and children also are kept smart looking.

men in robes and turbans
whispering to each other --
evening shopping
Beth Mwangi

(7) Distribution of food to the less fortunate
Muslims visit rehabilitation centres and homes of destitute children and donate things like foodstuffs, clothes, stationery and many other things during the month of Ramadhan.

women in black wrappers
serving street kids with food --
Ramadhan karim
Peris Wanjiru


These are some of the observations, there are many other minor ones.

How does the holy month end?

Idd-ul-Fittr is the next day after the last day of fasting. Fasting ends when the new moon is sighted anywhere in the world. Once it has been seen, the Imams (Muslim leaders) communicate and announce the end of fasting.

Ramadhan is gone
it’s time for feast after fasting --
the new moon appears
Winnie Wairimu

First, Muslims go to the Mosque and sing Idd-ul-Takbir. Idd-ul-Takbir is sung to mark the end of fasting and the beginning of celebrations. Idd-ul-Fittr is celebrated in many ways, including cooking in the Mosques (pilau -- cooked rice with added ingredients and spices), going out to visit, and sharing with less fortunate families to make sure that everyone has celebrated.

Idd-ul-Fittr is a public holiday in Kenya and has its own kigo entry.


http://www.eastandard.net/images/wednesday/hmpg241006.jpg
Pic by Jacob Otieno
Master Mohammed Yunus (right) and his brother look up as their father and other Muslim faithful pray to mark the end of Ramadhan at Sir Ali Muslim Grounds in Nairobi, yesterday.

Ramadhan may be followed by Sitah, which is the prolonged fasting for six days following Ramadhan. It is not compulsory, but one day of Sitah represents 100 days of fasting.


Why the Peacocks consider that Ramadhan is a season

Ramadhan is celebrated annually and is a holy month. Also, Ramadhan is an activity and takes a long time (30 days). Even though some of us are not Muslims, Ramadhan affects all of us in one way or another and we feel it should not be ignored.

David Caleb Mutua, Peacocks’ Chairman,
St Mathew Secondary School, Form 3.


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Another view from Kayole

I feel a lot of respect for the Muslims in Ramadhan. In the first place, there is a mosque across from our residence and we hear more frequent Allah akbar Allah akbar than on normal days. The most notable aspect of it are the numerous pairs of shoes at the doorstep of the mosque at noon, and of course the very new humble and kind attitude of the Muslims...
To me the most notable thing about the Ramadhan is the 5am prayer alert which makes me wake with a start and remain sleepless till day break. This kind of Allah akbar is so shrill since dawn is very still and sound travels low at night...

numerous pairs of shoes
at the mosque door steps-
Ramadan prayers

Patrick Wafula (Patron Bamboochas)

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More information here :
http://www.iqra.net/articles/Ramadhan/ramadhan1.htm


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Worldwide use

Ramadan and Haiku Worldwide

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

Peacocks

Ramadhan time --
very obedient and humble
muslims all over the country

Anges Adhiambo


muslims walk around
full of Oriental aromas --
noon prayers

Beth Mwangi


Allahu akbar
at crack of dawn in Mosques --
God is really great

Jacinta Minoo

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Bamboochas

in front of Rashid
is a cross-legged Salim-
Qurans in hand

the Muslim community
congregate in Mosques-
Ramadhan is here again

late evening,
outside Soweto Mosque-
delicious pilau

suhur and iftar-
Ramadhan timetable
is here again

busy helping
the poor and needy-
mission for all Muslims

~ Catherine Njeri


fatigued faces
ready to fill hungry stomachs
and thirsty throats

~ Depporah Mocheche


it's Ramadhan again-
Muslims clad in white robs,
fasting all day long

no food all day long-
the ninth month of their year,
fasting and praying

Nairobi streets,
flowing with Muslims
going to Mosque to pray

~ Cyprian Awino


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August moon-
the first fajr adhan
in to Ramadhan

FAJR- one of the prayers of Muslims which is done early in the morning
ADHAN- a call for Muslims to pray

Hussein Haji

. . . . .

endless yawning
with strong saum-
Ramadhan

SAUM- the act of fasting during the month of Ramadhan


adhan-
Muslims rushing to the mosque
swallah time

SWALLAH- Muslims prayer (another word to mean prayer)

Khadijah Rajab


MORE : Ramadan Haiku 2010


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From the Shiki Monthly Kukai August 2010


Ramadan -
she washes her feet under
August moonlight

~ Bamboocha


young August moon -
the Ramadan timetable
in the dailies

~ Patrick Wafula

. Kenya Saijiki Forum


*****************************
Related words

***** Ramadan
..... Ramazan, Berat Kandil Turkey 　 Leylatul Berat, Laylatul Barat
..... Ramadan ends (Idd ul Fitr) Kenya


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Ramadan and religious kigo
Discussion about this subject


Back to the Worldkigo Index

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Puddle, puddles

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Puddle, puddles

***** Location: Kenya, Guyana
***** Season: Long rains, short rains
............. others see below
***** Category: Earth

*****************************
Explanation

Puddles formation at the roadside is usual in our city during wet seasons.

kenneth daniels (Guyana)
SOUTH AMERICAN SAIJIKI




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quote
A puddle is a small accumulation of liquid, usually water, on a surface. It can form either by pooling in a depression on the surface, or by surface tension upon a flat surface. A puddle is generally considered to be small enough to step over or shallow enough to walk through, and too small to traverse with a boat, raft or submarine.

Puddles commonly form during rainstorms, and can cause problems for transport, especially when combined with cold conditions to form patches of ice, which are highly slippery and difficult to see. Due to the angle of the road, puddles tend to be forced by gravity to gather on the edge of the road. This causes the notorious 'splash' as cars drive quickly through the puddle, which causes water to be sprayed onto pedestrians on the adjacent pavement. A puddle on a road is commonly referred to as a Wooosher. Sometimes, irresponsible drivers will do this deliberately. Such activity is frowned upon, and in some countries can lead to prosecutions for careless driving.

Puddles are often considered a source of recreation by children, who consider jumping in puddles to be an "up-side" to rain.

Biology
Animals often use puddles either as a drinking source, a bath, or, in the case of some smaller animals, an entire habitat. Puddles are also vital for bathing birds.

Puddles which do not evaporate quickly can become standing water, which can become polluted by decaying organisms and are often home to breeding mosquitos, which can act as vectors for diseases such as malaria and of more recent concern in certain areas of the world, West Nile Virus.

Swallows use the damp loam which gathers in puddles as a form of cement to help to build their nests. The reduction in the number of puddles in the countryside due to intensive farming and climate change is partially to blame for a decrease in the swallows' numbers.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !

*****************************
Worldwide use

Germany and other European regions

Pfütze, Wasserpfütze
topic for haiku

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Japan

mizutamari みずたまり【水溜まり】puddle
topic for haiku

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Things found on the way


*****************************
HAIKU

wayside puddles
banana skin peelings
on the path

kenneth daniels (GY)
June 2009

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The long rains are subsiding and this is what i saw in the afternoon in the muddy road home as i was coming from school:

desperate tadpole
in the hot scorching sun
dwindling puddle

Harrison Wambua, Nairobi, Kenya
June 2009


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passing rain--
she steps in the puddle to
soften the mud

Caleb David Mutua, Kenya





PUDDLES - More photos by Caleb Mutua


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buy two
get one free--
milk hawker

MORE
Long Rains Haiku
By Patrik Wafula, March 2010


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rain---
a street boy washes his hands
in a puddle

Catherine Njeri
April 2010


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rainy afternoon--
my loose sole sticks
in a muddy puddle

Brian Etole
October 2010



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PUDDLE haiku
Kenya Saijiki Forum

PUDDLES haiku
Kenya Saijiki Forum


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Die dunkle Pfütze -
der Himmel treibt in Blasen
und zerplatzt

Gerd Börner (DE)
source : www.wowwi.orc.ru


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水溜りバシャバシャ歩く童かな
mizudamari baja-baja aruku warabe kana

puddles -
the children walk
with splashing sounds

source : rakuten.co.jp
Tr. Gabi Greve

bajabaja, baja-baja imitates the sound of rubber boots in puddles.


MORE
Japanese haiku with 水たまり

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Puddles and their reflections of the sky are a common theme for haiku ... so nice to observe after a downpoor !

Here are some random samples while googeling

"Who has not read a haiku with the traditional image of a puddle of rain reflecting a leaf, cloud, moon, sky, kite, flower, frog?"
One Haiku, Several Authors


Sky clearing colors of the rainbow from puddle to puddle

After the rain a puddle. Careful. Don't step on the sky

Drops as they splattered. Into the puddle

One shoe slaps puddle. Cold water flies everywhere. Other foot gets wet.

The moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide
Muddy dirt puddle, Meaning nothing to people, Reflects the bright moon

puddle after puddle— the bright color of her long raincoat.

Trailer park girl rolls in puddle. Left by afternoon rain

frozen puddles– the crack of axes from four directions

MORE
Haiku with a puddle


googeling "in each puddle"

after summer storm a moon in each puddle

up in each puddle this stone left by a lizard still warm

...... while stepping on the moon in each puddle

MORE googeling :
Haiku with "in each puddle"

.................................................................................


after the storm -
paulownia blossoms
in each puddle

Gabi Greve, May 2007


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Related words

***** SOUTH AMERICAN SAIJIKI

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


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Power failure

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Power failure, power cut,
electricity rationing, blackout

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Long rains, short rains
***** Category: Humanity

*****************************
Explanation

In Kenya, we have power failures all year round, sometimes for days on end -- but when the rains start pelting down, we actually expect the power to go... (see First rainfall).

The rainy season brings power failures or power cuts, most commonly in the form of the sudden disappearance of electricity. The tropical rains being so heavy, vulnerable power lines can be damaged by the force of the floods caused by rainfall, and sometimes even masts come down. Electrical teams are in high demand at such times, and work around the clock to restore electricity as soon as possible.

Much of Kenya’s power is in the form of hydro electricity. The force of the rainfall can also damage dams, again leading to power cuts.

When generating capacity is damaged to such an extent that not sufficient power can be produced for the country, a period of electricity rationing may be declared. Newspapers carry the times when the various parts of the city and the country will not have power, and people organise their lives around the times when electricity is available. As the generating capacity of the country has considerably risen over the past decade, such periods are now few and far between.

The major schools and businesses have generators on stand-by, and these spring into action automatically, once there is no power coming through. Normal households enjoying electricity supplies have older fall-back technologies, in common with those not yet connected to the grid : candles, kerosene lamps, jiko (kerosene or charcoal brazier), gas cookers. The real nightmare is for those with fridges and freezers, as a power cut of more than 24 hours probably means that all the contents will be spoilt.

Most Kenyan homes, schools and small businesses do not yet have electricity (although this may soon change, as power lines are being expanded to many new areas) -- so that power cuts are really not all that important in the lives of ordinary Kenyans. Those homes which are connected, usually have few demands on electricity supplies -- the most important of these being light -- hence the frequent use of the word blackout to describe a power failure.


Kerosene lamp in action

Text and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

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*****************************
Worldwide use


power outage –
barks spiral around
the neighbourhood

- Shared by Johannes Manjrekar -
Joys of Japan, 2012



*****************************
Things found on the way


© www.wap.org/journal/blackout/

A blackout is more commonly a war time occurrence, when there may be lights used in the houses, but people try to make sure that none shows outdoors, so that the enemy planes cannot see where the houses are, where the factories or barracks are located, etc... I cannot remember this... but being a European, it is part of folk memory in that part of the world, and my parents remember it well.

~ Isabelle Prondzynski

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We had the black out from 1943 to 1955 in Japan.

black out
remembering War time
winter seclusion

Sakuo Nakamura


*****************************
HAIKU

after the rain --
cooking by candle light
in silence

power failure --
all the more visible
the full moon

candle night
hand in hand up the stairs
to find the bed


Cooking vegetables with a jiko

Haiku and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

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work pending
as blackout rages --
dark office

visitors arrive
think no one is in school --
blackout

Adelaide Luvandale


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power failure again !
the ironing wallah grabs
for the charcoals

Gabi Greve, visiting India, 1980


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


power shortage --
torches glimmer in the
dark night

dark night --
people walk in the dimly
lit streets


Kelvin Mukoselo, Kenya
August 2009


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


candle light
glimmers in a dark room-
power rationing

Siboko Yamame
Kenya, August 2009


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


due to the current power crisis many people have resolved to the opposite
of doing stuff

power rationing--
a woman lights an old lamp
at the market

power rationing--
a long queue at the
old barber shop

water shortage--
a man whistles to a water
supply man

water shortage--
a zipless jacket abandoned
at the dry sink

two ducks feed
at a drying water pool--
dry august

hunger--
a broken pot deserted
at the well

hot terrain--
dry tear stains on the young
pokot boy


dry august--
two pokot girls battle
over wild berries

Hussein Haji, August 2009
pokot a pastrolism tribe in north kenya.

. . . CLICK here for Photos !

The Pokot people
(commonly spelled Pökoot, and called Suk in older literature) live in the West Pokot and Baringo Districts of Kenya and in eastern Karamoja in Uganda.
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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I grope for
our door knob-
black out

Andrew Otinga, March 2011


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power failure --
does the moonlight
outdo the candle's?

James Bundi, June 2012


*****************************
Related words


***** Jiko (both stove and brazier)

***** First rainfall, imminent rain

***** Candle Night


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Back to the Worldkigo Index

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Plum fruit

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Plums

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Hot dry season
***** Category: Plant

*****************************
Explanation

In Kenya, plum is a kigo which refers to the fruit -- not the blossom, as it would be in Japan! Plum trees in Kenya grow at high altitude, and the fruit are brought down to Nairobi (itself high at 1,800 m above sea level) in early January and available all over the city, but only for a short and delicious spell of two or three weeks.

During that brief time, they will be found in markets, at roadside stalls, sold by hawkers seated on pavements, or off a wheelbarrow. They could be spread out in tidy pryramids, for sale at a set price, or they could be sold by the heaped Kasuku jar (Kasuku is a popular cooking fat), out of large buckets -- and always a little bonus (called “discount”) thrown in!

Some people immediately munch -- others remember hygiene teaching and take their bag home to wash the fruit first -- and a few resident Europeans, worried about cleanliness, prefer to cook them before eating. Each of these ways are good, and everyone enjoys the plum season.

Kenya plums are round, red and small -- looking to a European rather like oversized cherries -- and have a sweet, but tart flavour. They are so tasty, and much more satisfying than most of the cultivated export varieties of other countries. There is also a yellow variety, which is less common and less flavoursome.

Plums are one of the rare Kenyan fruit which are highly seasonal -- blink twice, and they are gone until next year -- and as they are not expensive, they are popular with both adults and children. Apart from being delicious raw, they can also be stewed, and they make an excellent jam.


Plums for sale at a Nairobi bus stop
Text and photo © Isabelle Prondzynski


*****************************
Worldwide use

Japan

Plum blossoms (ume) Many related kigo
...... Plum blossom fragrance (ume ga ka)

*****************************
Things found on the way


*****************************
HAIKU

piled in roadside stalls --
red plums -- soft, shiny and plump,
first of the new year

warm plum jam
licked off the wooden spoon
rounded and red

making plum jam --
two stems and a leaf
well cooked too


Plum jam still cooling
Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

selling red plums --
baby too bends
up and down

~ Isabelle Prondzynski

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red plums in markets
sweet although very tiny
all for good health

~ Winnie Wairimu (Peacock)

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two little girls
bending over a wheelbarrow
select plums

~ Catherine Njeri Maina (Bamboocha)

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Sabasaba road
hawkers dragging wheelbarrows
plums cost five shillings

~ Loice Wangeci (Peacock)

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wheelbarrows
filled with red and pink
moist plums

(peddlers sell plums on wheelbarrows around the steets)

I spit the seed
of the reddish sweet plum
mmh! yammy!

~ Caleb David Mutua (Peacock)

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Plums measured by the Kasuku jar
Photo © Isabelle Prondzynski

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HAIBUN

It was on Monday morning, when I travelled to Gikomba, on my way back reaching Eastleigh area, I spotted a kiosk full of PLUMS.

You know what, I made a stop over in Eastleigh, because it was something good for a haiku observer like me. Immediately I stepped down,

here they are again
red round fleshy plums
in Eastleigh area

Eastleigh area is a well known habitat for Muslims in Kenya. Keen with my pen and a note book, I walked around, then

in white robes Muslims
stood around a kiosk buying
plums one by one

As the walk continues, kids come,

kids enjoy its flesh
as its juice drips and decorates
their white robes

The walk does not stop there, now a mother,

a happy mother
having a taste first before
giving her order

baby on her back
stretching out his hand to have his
portion of ripe plum

Unfortunately I never had a cent remaining, only the fare from Eastleigh to Umoja, so I never had a taste, but they are here I'll soon have.

~ Raymond Otieno, 14 December 2006
(Bamboocha)

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cool evening --
a student quietly
sucking plums

Elkana Mogaka



dusty sunset --
the hawker's wheelbarrow
still full of red plums

Patrick Wafula


More PLUM HAIKU from January 2008


*****************************
Related words

***** Peach (ripe at the same time in Kenya)

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the Worldkigo Index

Poui Tree

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

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Poui Tree (Tabebuia Family)

***** Location: Trinidad and Tobago, Tropics
***** Season: Tropical Rainy Season
***** Category: Plant

*****************************
Explanation

Pink Poui, Pink Trumpet Tree

First Bloom of The Poui (yellow) also called golden poui and (pink); first bloom may start as early as late March or early April and is a dramatic spectacle and it is accepted as a signal for the approaching Rainy Season and an end to the Dry Season in Trinidad and Tobago

Blossom Fall The poui blossom fall would be around late April and during May as the blossoming of the Poui is usually a sign of the coming Rainy season which starts in June.

Late Bloom September we may have another blossoming and fall but the April /May is most dramatic as it presages the Rainy season. The September bloom sort of ushering out the Rainy Season and its the Hurricane phase
I remember a little poem from my childhood pertaining to the Hurricane and Storm cycle within the Rainy Season which goes like this

June too soon
July stand-by
August come what may
September remember
October all over

So in fact the Poui acts as a season change signalling the coming of and ushering out the Rainy Season.

Gillena Cox

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Read more about the

Pink Poui, Pink Tecoma, Rosy Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia rosea)

http://davesgarden.com/pdb/go/54474///
http://ctfs.si.edu/webatlas/english/tab1ro.html
http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.cgi?symbol=TARO#guides

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Pictures

Pink Poui...Genus Species : Tabebuia rosa
Look at this huge picture here:
http://www.ttcsweb.org/photos/poui_hollow.jpg
http://www.planetware.com/photos/TRI/TRI004.HTM

Yellow Poui...Genus Species : Tabebuia serratifolia


© Wikipedia : Tabebuia

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Things found on the way

*****************************
HAIKU

blossom fall
pink poui
at my feet
gillena 2003


poui blossoms fall
I am torn between looking
up and down
gilllena 2003


morning sun
at the center
of the pink poui
a spot of yellow
gillena 2003

on the mountain
no golden poui blossoms
but today rain

gillena cox 2002
(also appearing at WHReviewVol.2 No. 2)

http://mongst.8k.com/

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Related words

***** trumpet tree, golden yellow trumpet tree Tabebuia chrysantha
India

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To the Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

Polling Day, Election Day

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

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Trinidad and Tobago Saijiki

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Polling Day, Election Day

***** Location: Trinidad and Tobago, worldwide
***** Season: Non-seasonal Topic
***** Category: Humanity

*****************************
Explanation

There are many things to be elected.
Poems about this topic might tend to be more on the side of senryu.



Political election day, kigo for various seasons, see below.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Politics of Trinidad and Tobago takes place in a framework of a unitary state, with a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the UK, from which it gained independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican Constitution, the British monarch was replaced as head of state by a President chosen by an electoral college composed of the members of the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The general direction and control of the government rests with the Cabinet, led by a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are answerable (at least in theory) to the House of Representatives.

Read more:
Politics of Trinidad and Tobago / Wikipedia

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CBCnews

Monday, November 5, 2007

The possibility of sweeping constitutional changes that would turn Trinidad and Tobago's government into a U.S.-style presidency is at stake as voters began casting ballots at 6 a.m. Monday in a national election.

The governing People's National Movement, or PNM, held 20 of 36 seats in the oil-rich Caribbean country's previous Parliament and is likely to be re-elected with a comfortable majority, unless the two main opposition parties can avoid vote-splitting.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning is hoping to gain a special majority of at least 28 seats in Parliament — which, after boundary changes, now has 41 seats — to introduce constitutional amendments that will establish an executive presidency.
　©www.cbc.ca


MORE !
"Trinidad and Tobago" election day 2007


*****************************
Worldwide use

England (United Kingdom)

Election Day in the United Kingdom is by tradition a Thursday, but the date for general elections is not fixed by law. Most other European countries hold all Elections on Sundays.
Polls in the United Kingdom open at 7:00 and close at 22:00.

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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USA

Election Day
first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Observed by the federal and state governments in applicable years; legal holiday in some states.
kigo for autumn


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Things found on the way


*****************************
HAIKU



polling day ..
the ink stains
on indeX fingers

©　Gillena Cox, November 2007

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Election Day morning: haiku

Election Day morning.
The factory whistle seems
to go on forever.

Election Day morning.
Gray squirrels forage in the oaks.
The clatter of acorns.

Many more are here:
　©　vita negativa


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Related words



BACK TO
Trinidad and Tobago Saijiki


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Back to the Worldkigo Index

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Peacocks July 2006

nnnnnnnnnnnn TOP nnnnnnnnnnnnn

PEACOKC Haiku Club
Collection July 2006

Themes: Exams and Avocado

students
with books and papers
preparing for exams
Agnes Adhiambo

exams are on--
the compound is so quiet
students murmuring
Kelvin Mukoselo

contemplative looks —
quizzes for testing our knowledge
in all subjects
Jane Wambui

questions for the mind —
pass from it or fall from it
life of a student
Lilian Atieno

quiet compound —
reading preparing
for exams
Beth Mwangi

cramming everything —
students hearts beat rapidly
waiting for exams
Beth Mwangi

panicking faces —
students glued to exam papers
and silence everywhere
Jelida Kerubo

with happy faces
students jump up down
exams are over
Jelida Kerubo

all seated in class
pens and papers in hand
doing their exams
Loise Form 1A

here comes the exams --
students scratch their heads
answering the questions

two times eight plus two
what a technical querry
oh it was an exam
Stephen Kimanthi

mathematics hard
a relief in English —
time runs out
Kevin Muraguri

winners are rewarded
and failures crying all over —
please don't be a failure
Gladys Kathini

a quiet class —
students with pens and clipboards
ready for exams
Khadijah Rajab

busy offices —
students out of bounds
exams on the way
Onimbo Christine

pensive students
frequent the toilet —
exams
Onimbo Christine

it's almost time —
students scratch their heads
whispering prayers
Christine Nyakado

chilly morning —
teachers with exams in hand
and students seated
Christine Nyakado

maths paper on table
pens and protractors at work
no one wants to fail
Jacinta Minoo

parents rejoicing
for the hard work of their children
showering us with gifts
Dorine Atieno

students scratching heads
books past papers at work again
teachers busy with pens
Husseini Haji


AVOCADO

seeds scattered everywhere
children running with avocados
the avocado season
Husseini Haji

the green round fruit
swinging around the tall leafy tree —
the avocado
Stephen Kimanthi

fat people all over
and happiness on every face —
the avocado
Gladys Kathini

avocado seeds —
farmers busy in nurseries
for better plantations
Jelida Kerubo


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***** PEACOCK Haiku Club


***** School exams KCSE / KCPE

***** Avocado pear (Kikuyu : Mûkorobîa)

*****************************
THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the Worldkigo Index

Peace (amani)

nnnnnnnnnnnn TOP nnnnnnnnnnnnn

Peace (Swahili : Amani)

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Non-seasonal topic
***** Category: Humanity

*****************************
Explanation


Peace in Kenya, as elsewhere, has many layers of meaning.

Kenya haijin, first of all, think of peace within their own country and in the cross-border regions with neighbouring countries. Several regions in the country have suffered ethnic strife from time to time. This may be caused by political factors, pitting one community against another, or it may be due to by traditional practices, such as cattle rustling from neighbouring communities (see Maasai Cattle in this Database) and, more recently, by conflict over the ownership of water sources in the semi-arid areas.

Next, they think of peace within the neighbouring countries. Kenya, as a stable democracy, has over the decades acted as host to innumerable refugees from Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo, and other countries farther afield. Kenya governments, past and present, have consistently worked for peace agreements in these neighbouring countries and have successfully brokered several of these.

Beyond this, Kenya haijin think of peace in the world (see also War and Peace in this Database). Thanks to the news media, they are as concerned about trouble spots in other parts of the world as the citizens of any other nation, and regularly pray for such places in church and in public gatherings. Kenya is a regular supplier of UN Peacekeeping Forces, most often for duty in other African countries, but also in other continents.

Kenya took its own heavy toll of suffering from conflict in other parts of the world, when the capital was hit by the Nairobi Bomb on 7 August 1998 (see Nairobi Bomb Day in this Database).



The Bamboochas pay their respects at the 7 August 1998 Memorial, August 2006
Photo : Patrick Wafula

Finally, Kenya haijin remember peace in their own communities, their families, their homes and their hearts. Students learn and perform drama containing scenes of family strife and violence, with the objective of raising awareness and preventing the replication of such suffering in the next generation.

Isabelle Prondzynski

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

The government of retired President Daniel arap Moi (1978 - 2002) chose the themes of Peace, Love and Unity as its slogan. The Peace Monument, mentioned by Patrick Wafula below, was erected during this era. Moi Day (10 October), a public holiday currently under review, was set as a day to remember others and look after the less advantaged citizens.

Isabelle Prondzynski

More information here :
http://www.mfa.go.ke/moi.html


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HAIKU

in the schoolyard
making peace between factions --
one lone boy

bedtime --
around the kerosene lamp
we pray for peace

~ Isabelle Prondzynski

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rainy windy Marsabit --
peacemakers perish
in a plane crash

~ Anne Nechesa (Peacock Haiku Poetry Club)


church leaders --
heads bowed and hands raised
praying for peace

~ Catherine Njeri (Bahati Haiku Poetry Club)


peaceful dog
poaked by a passing boy --
it runs at the boy

~ Simon Ndirangu (Falcons Haiku Poetry Club)


baby crying
mother bleeding badly
no peace at home

~ Raymond Otieno (Bahati Haiku Poetry Club)


Students of Bahati Secondary School performing a sketch on family violence

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Samburu elders
offering a peace sacrifice --
cows moo, bulls bellow

happy looking kid...
sucking lollipop in front of
the Peace Monument

heavy beads of sweat
drop from patrol police's brow...
calm Mai Mahiu

~ Patrick Wafula

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Read more Haiku about Peace and Love
from Kenya Haiku Clubs here !


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Related words

***** Nairobi Bomb Day

***** World Peace Day

***** War and Peace (sensoo to heiwa) 　

***** Moi Day
kigo for the short rains

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THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

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