Imena

It’s been a while since I have posted. Im really sorry I have been busy. Remember the group I told you I dance with, African Arts Productions. I did my first peformance with them last Saturday, at this cultural festival. I was so nervous to get on stage, and peform. Peforming on stage in front of audience is one of the best experiences I could ever imagine. My Aunt who once use to sing, and peform in diffrent cities says that ever since she was little she got hit by a “stage bug”. She always said there is no other feeling in the world than being on a stage. I know what she was talking about now, I use to sing too on stage when I was little up untill my early teens. But, then I stopped and started to concentrate more on school. Along with the peformance I got to play my saxaphone in a Nigerian song called “Bami Jo”. I loved every bit of it! I also have been helping my mom paint her class room, and put up posters. My mom teaches kindergarden, well actually its a special kindergarden class for students who have not went to pre-school. So they don’t know the name of certain shapes, colors, or how to count to ten. Most of them are mexican, and don’t speak english that well so they have a hard time in school. Often staying with their parents, or grandparents who speak mostly nothing but Spanish. My mom’s open house for the parents is tonight, so Im going to help with that. Next week the new semester begins again, bye bye summer. Thats everything, Salaams!

Hello my brothas and sisters, this poem is about the home of my ancesters. The name of my blog Imena, which is African meaning something beautiful. Even though I’am African American my roots are in Somalia.

Africa my Africa
Africa my motherland
Mother or Fatherland
Childless you went almost
But he that intervened
The God of all nations

Africa my Africa
Mother of nations great
Nigeria in the west
Ethiopia in the east remains
With labor pangs
You brought them forth

Africa my Africa
Father of Egypt
To the north, be so planted
And Zimbabwe, the south remains
And for Africa that mothered them all

Africa my Africa
Your discovery had brought you pains
Children and grandchildren
To the great sea you lost
Continents with them were fed

Africa my Africa
In Vain labor no more
Loose a child, but to no one
Your great nations do protect
For he shall intervene
When you cry for help.

~Toris Okotie~

Well, Im back from my vacation, thanks everyone for your comments you posted while I was gone. I fixed the comments so they no longer have to be moderated. On my vacation I went t the Grand Canyon, it is a annual trip I always do with my mom before the school semester begins. Its so nice to get away from the city. The forest that sorrounds the Grand Canyon is beautiful, the nature in it self brings such peace. I wish I could have gotten out more this summer, but I had to work. Oh well, no one can say I was being lazy. Salaam

Hey everyone, Im finally getting a rest from work, so I will be going on vacation for a week. By then I will have worked out all the technical errors on this blog. This blog also has comment moderation on it, so when you post a comment it is saved untill I approve. Im not sure how to take the comment moderation off, but Ill get it in order soon. I wanted to leave you with this quote, summer is quickly fading enjoy it my brothers and sisters.

“Prayer is that which enables the soul to realize its divinity. Through prayer human beings worship absolute truth, and seek an eternal reward. Prayer is the foundation-stone of religion; and religion is the means by which the soul is purified of all that pollutes it. Prayer is the worship of the first cause of all things, the supreme ruler of all the world, the source of all strength. Prayer is the adoration of the one whose being is necessary.”
-Ibn Sina, “Kitab al-Najat”

This is my new blog, I changed blogging sites because I was having trouble uploading pictures, and videos on blogger.  Well, I hope you guys dont mind the new location.  ~Salaams~