THAT SUPERMARKET EXPERIENCE

Hi,

So i read this and enjoyed...

hope you like it as much :)


I get mad every time I go to a supermarket and I'm given sweets as part of my change. I swore sometime back that I'll go shopping with them sweets one day.


So a few minutes ago I felt thirsty and as it happened that I was passing by Ukwala Supermarket next to Afya Centre, Nairobi, I decided to go for bottled water. My thirst was huge so I went for the Quencher 1.5ltrs which goes for 58 bob. The young lady cashier hands me two twenty bob coins (40 shillings) and two sweets as change for the 100 bob I gave her. I tell her "NO, I don't take sweets for change." She tells me, "I don't have coins," and gets ready to call the next person in the queue. I demand my two shillings change, shebstands her ground she has no coins. "Then why put coins in your prices if you don't have them to give change?" I'm now almost shouting.


I don't wish to cause a scene over two bobs so I take the sweets and walk away fuming...not because of some useless two bobs but because of the thievery that goes on in supermarkets, especially Ukwala Supermarkets and other small supermarkets, with the cheap 10 cents sweets they give away in place of shillings. I swear to teach them
a lesson--not tomorrow, now!


I walk to the left-luggage counter located just at the entrance/exit, leave the water, and walk back into the self-service store. I remember just in time that I actually need toothpaste. So I go and voila! there's a Colgate that is going for 53 shillings. I pick that and walk to the cashiers, making sure to go to the same one who gave me sweets. She punches the Colgate into her cash register and I hand to her 51 shillings and the two sweets. She looks at me and asks "what's this for?" referring to the two sweets. "You gave me those, remember me? Since you guys seem to have made sweets a currency, I can as well pay with them!" With the most serious expression she could muster, the girl who doesn't look so young now, tells me: "we don't take sweets from outside."


The shop manager who just happened to be passing by heard the exchange and stopped to find out what was happening. "This girl gave me sweets as change a few minutes ago in spite of my protests that I don't chew sweets. I went back to the shop and took this toothpaste and added the sweets to the money that I have but she will not take the sweets saying ati they are from outside. If you can give sweets as change, and therefore a form of currency, why won't you accept them as such?"


The manager just smiled, perhaps concluding I'm either a nutcase or a smart-alek, said to the cashier "It's ok chukua (take) ," gave me my toothpaste and I left. The people in the queue almost cheered.

from facebook user : Charles Lwanga

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY    

20 THINGS 20-YEAR-OLDS DON'T GET

hey...

Today's post is not mine, i don't own it at all and the writer and i have no connection whatsoever, i just came across his post, i related, i liked and instead of sharing on my social media platforms i figured this media would reach more people as it would also be shared on my other social platforms.

''I started Docstoc in my 20’s, made the cover of one of those cliché “20 Under 20” lists, and today I employ an amazing group of 20-somethings.  Call me a curmudgeon, but at 34, how I came up seems so different from what this millennial generation expects.  I made a lot of mistakes along the way, and I see this generation making their own.  In response, here are my 20 Things 20-Year-Olds Don’t Get.

1. Time is Not a Limitless Commodity – I so rarely find young professionals that have a heightened sense of urgency to get to the next level.  In our 20s we think we have all the time in the world to A) figure it out and B) get what we want.  Time is the only treasure we start off with in abundance, and can never get back.  Make the most of the opportunities you have today, because there will be a time when you have no more of it.


2. You’re Talented, But Talent is Overrated - Congratulations, you may be the most capable, creative, knowledgeable & multi-tasking generation yet.  As my father says, “I’ll Give You a Sh-t Medal.”  Unrefined raw materials (no matter how valuable) are simply wasted potential.  There’s no prize for talent, just results.  Even the most seemingly gifted folks methodically and painfully worked their way to success.  (Tip: read “Talent is Overrated”)


3. We’re More Productive in the Morning – During my first 2 years at Docstoc (while I was still in my 20’s) I prided myself on staying at the office until 3am on a regular basis.  I thought I got so much work done in those hours long after everyone else was gone.  But in retrospect I got more menial, task-based items done, not the more complicated strategic planning, phone calls or meetings that needed to happen during business hours.  Now I stress an office-wide early start time because I know, for the most part, we’re more productive as a team in those early hours of the day.


4. Social Media is Not a Career – These job titles won’t exist in 5 years. Social media is simply a function of marketing; it helps support branding, ROI or both.  Social media is a means to get more awareness, more users or more revenue.  It’s not an end in itself.  I’d strongly caution against pegging your career trajectory solely to a social media job title.


5. Pick Up the Phone – Stop hiding behind your computer. Business gets done on the phone and in person.  It should be your first instinct, not last, to talk to a real person and source business opportunities.  And when the Internet goes down… stop looking so befuddled and don’t ask to go home.  Don’t be a pansy, pick up the phone.


6. Be the First In & Last to Leave ­– I give this advice to everyone starting a new job or still in the formative stages of their professional career.  You have more ground to make up than everyone else around you, and you do have something to prove.  There’s only one sure-fire way to get ahead, and that’s to work harder than all of your peers.


7. Don’t Wait to Be Told What to Do – You can’t have a sense of entitlement without a sense of responsibility.  You’ll never get ahead by waiting for someone to tell you what to do.  Saying “nobody asked me to do this” is a guaranteed recipe for failure.  Err on the side of doing too much, not too little.  (Watch: Millennials in the Workplace Training Video)


8. Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes – You should be making lots of mistakes when you’re early on in your career.  But you shouldn’t be defensive about errors in judgment or execution.  Stop trying to justify your F-ups.  You’re only going to grow by embracing the lessons learned from your mistakes, and committing to learn from those experiences.


9. You Should Be Getting Your Butt Kicked – Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” would be the most valuable boss you could possibly have.  This is the most impressionable, malleable and formative stage of your professional career.  Working for someone that demands excellence and pushes your limits every day will build the most solid foundation for your ongoing professional success.


10. A New Job a Year Isn’t a Good Thing ­­– 1-year stints don’t tell me that you’re so talented that you keep outgrowing your company.  It tells me that you don’t have the discipline to see your own learning curve through to completion.  It takes about 2-3 years to master any new critical skill, give yourself at least that much time before you jump ship.  Otherwise your resume reads as a series of red flags on why not to be hired.


11. People Matter More Than Perks – It’s so trendy to pick the company that offers the most flex time, unlimited meals, company massages, game rooms and team outings.  Those should all matter, but not as much as the character of your founders and managers. Great leaders will mentor you and will be a loyal source of employment long after you’ve left.  Make a conscious bet on the folks you’re going to work for and your commitment to them will pay off much more than those fluffy perks.


12. Map Effort to Your Professional Gain – You’re going to be asked to do things you don’t like to do.  Keep your eye on the prize.   Connect what you’re doing today, with where you want to be tomorrow.  That should be all the incentive you need. If you can’t map your future success to your current responsibilities, then it’s time to find a new opportunity. (See: How To Know When It’s Time To Quit)


13. Speak Up, Not Out – We’re raising a generation of sh-t talkers.  In your workplace this is a cancer.  If you have issues with management, culture or your role & responsibilities, SPEAK UP.  Don’t take those complaints and trash-talk the company or co-workers on lunch breaks and anonymous chat boards.  If you can effectively communicate what needs to be improved, you have the ability to shape your surroundings and professional destiny.


14. You HAVE to Build Your Technical Chops – Adding “Proficient in Microsoft Office” at the bottom of your resume under Skills, is not going to cut it anymore.  I immediately give preference to candidates who are ninjas in: Photoshop, HTML/CSS, iOS, WordPress, Adwords, MySQL, Balsamiq, advanced Excel, Final Cut Pro – regardless of their job position.  If you plan to stay gainfully employed, you better complement that humanities degree with some applicable technical chops.


15. Both the Size and Quality of Your Network Matter – It’s who you know more than what you know, that gets you ahead in business.  Knowing a small group of folks very well, or a huge smattering of contacts superficially, just won’t cut it.  Meet and stay connected to lots of folks, and invest your time developing as many of those relationships as possible. (TIP: Here is my Networking Advice)


16. You Need At Least 3 Professional Mentors – The most guaranteed path to success is to emulate those who’ve achieved what you seek.  You should always have at least 3 people you call mentors who are where you want to be.  Their free guidance and counsel will be the most priceless gift you can receive.  (TIP:  “The Secret to Finding and Keeping Mentors”)


17. Pick an Idol & Act “As If” – You may not know what to do, but your professional idol does.  I often coach my employees to pick the businessperson they most admire, and act “as if.”  If you were (fill in the blank) how would he or she carry themselves, make decisions, organize his/her day, accomplish goals?  You’ve got to fake it until you make it, so it’s better to fake it as the most accomplished person you could imagine.   (Shout out to Tony Robbins for the tip)


18. Read More Books, Fewer Tweets/Texts – Your generation consumes information in headlines and 140 characters:  all breadth and no depth.  Creativity, thoughtfulness and thinking skills are freed when you’re forced to read a full book cover to cover.  All the keys to your future success, lay in the past experience of others.  Make sure to read a book a month  (fiction or non-fiction) and your career will blossom.


19. Spend 25% Less Than You Make – When your material needs meet or exceed your income, you’re sabotaging your ability to really make it big.  Don’t shackle yourself with golden handcuffs (a fancy car or an expensive apartment).  Be willing and able to take 20% less in the short term, if it could mean 200% more earning potential.  You’re nothing more than penny wise and pound-foolish if you pass up an amazing new career opportunity to keep an extra little bit of income.  No matter how much money you make, spend 25% less to support your life.  It’s a guaranteed formula to be less stressed and to always have the flexibility to pursue your dreams.


20. Your Reputation is Priceless, Don’t Damage It – Over time, your reputation is the most valuable currency you have in business.  It’s the invisible key that either opens or closes doors of professional opportunity.  Especially in an age where everything is forever recorded and accessible, your reputation has to be guarded like the most sacred treasure.  It’s the one item that, once lost, you can never get back.''

Jason Nazar, Contributor

I run Docstoc and write about entrepreneurship

as always, THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY :)

XOXO

Ms. Shee Art

OF BEADS AND BEARDS

What is wrong with you?

Nothing

Nothing…? Are you kidding me right now?

Frankly hun, nothing’s wrong, it’s just that….

Yeah, I get it, It’s just that you are lost, trying to find yourself blah blah blah, to be honest, I don’t see why you ‘can’t find yourself’ without dumping me, am I pulling you back?

No, not at all, In fact my friends think that you actually pulling me forward, me too.

Then why can’t we be? Why do we have to have this conversation every time?

Hun please just ‘elewa’ (understand) me, we can still be friends.

Friends? Not really, my friends don’t do Kevin’s.

                                                 …..Awkward silence……

I didn’t or rather, I couldn’t bold up and listen to his persistent musings as he stroked his beard, his ugly sweaty beard, leave alone standing up and telling him what I really felt, how I just wanted to be on my own and possibly start afresh, and yes with a freshman, Kevin, but I couldn’t. It was not because Kevin was a first year and would seem wrong for a third year to date a freshman (like anybody cares) but because so much was wrong with me, he was right, I was drifting off, way off.

I was at peace though because I felt that my hands were tied, no, not with the squawky Boy Scout scarf that Kibet loved to tie my arm to the metal rail on his bed, at least his bottom half of the bed, these double Decker ninjas! My hands were tied by the fact that he was adorable, faithful as a dog, loving, fun and all. Nobody, not even Darth Vader (if you into those villains character movie things) would harm such an innocent looking moderately handsome chap with a face, not only her mother would love. So in the end I convinced my inner self to convince me, that if I could, I would, but since I can’t, I shan’t.

The truth is, nothing was wrong with him, but I wanted to break up with him, in fact I did and felt horrible thereafter but I believe that we all deserve to get what we want, no matter how many people we have to hurt on our way to our dreams no matter how vague they are. No? OK, my opinion and what do you know, you are still short.

Thus to this day I know not why it couldn’t work, was it his obsession with me? Was it his beard? ‘’That stupid beard’’ or was it my love for beads which he hated. But I am at peace, I miss him and I want him back but I am at peace, I know I don’t make much sense but am trying to believe that I do.

A man is only as ugly as his beard and as handsome as the beads he dons – Mahatma Gandhi and with this, I pass my message (offer) to my Kibet, if you are willing to lay off that beard for some African beads, then maybe, just maybe, I can butter your breakfast toast once more, and this time, maybe for good, since am much older now, I don’t get hit on that much this days. I guess that’s my sign that I might as well settle.

Think about it.

WRITER: Opted to remain unanimous.