Plight of the World.

You know the plight of us; all the pains and the strains that this life covers
Things never go right, it's the gripe of us
It's like life came and took all the life from us, from us
Was supposed to go this way, hearts cold from coast to coast this days
Full of hope and nope it's gone, this grave
We need light and life to come invade
This cold world ain't nice to us
We so blind like the sights took our sight from us
I know you heard it more than once kinda like stutters
But this world needs help, all the likes of us, of us
What a lonely road is paved, with some broken souls that (groan midways)
On our domes we long to go get away, we cant go it alone come on invade

In this broken world we wanna find a way,
Cause it all went wrong, tell me who can take it away
come and invade our world.


You know the place where we placed at
It's like loves been erased they replaced that
There's no food in the crib where they plates at
The kid got shot in the place where he plays at
Jay said this can't be life, I'm lookin at the world like this can't be right
We lookin for the light but we can't be night
We lookin for our health but we can't see right (see right)
Comin y'all we gotta face facts
His years go tears roll down hhis face ??
When he had a lot of hope it would fade black
Now he cold and he ain't really fazed at anything
Anything his face seems light, cause his moneys out like they made three strikes
Needs something to come down invade these nights
A real life Hero need that'll make things right


I know of some folks thinkin, this dude trippin what he drinkin
What kinda little dream he chasin, he gonna spend his whole life waitin (I'm waitin)
For someone to come down to change this song, but not just me man creation groans
We are waitin for someone to erase this wrong
The Kingdom is here the invasion's on.

Trip Lee-Invade

The Bayimba International Festival of Arts 2010 Kampala UG

Forgive the fact that I have written this a week after the Festival started and 5 days after it ended. Forgive me also for the awful truth that I took no pictures, you can go to Bayimba facebook page for you to have a look.

Ugandans are not crazy about the arts. Ugandans just love entertainment. This is why it is easier for Moses Kyagulanyi to pull throngs while Maurice Kirya will attract a select few who are picky.

The recently concluded Bayimba festival had tough competition over the weekend. There was the Goat race at Munyonyo plus the Bride and Groom Expo. Bayimba's vision is "A vibrant creative arts industry in Uganda that is professional, creative and viable and contributes to social and economic development in Uganda and East Africa." It was evident from the festival's weekend line up that creative arts is a big deal with Bayimba.

First, the plates, cups, basins and other plastic stuff on the main stage background was a totally cool idea.

From the photography display, to the artisan craft, the music in the theatre from Kampala Music School, Abo Gospel, Ethno Uganda, and other acts, it was a dynamic mix of different art forms showcasing not only Ugandan culture but international culture as well.

There was a clear presence of "Mzungus" who are known to be more in love with the arts than the Ugandans themselves. To wit, there was a nice shirt with the words " My name is not Mzungu", which put a smile on my face.

However, I think the attendance of locals was not so bad although like I said at the start, Ugandans love entertainment. This is probably why we saw more people coming in the evening to watch mostly rock-oriented live music like the Uneven Band with Rachel K, Milege and and take part of the cooler than ice cold "Silent Disco".

My personal favourites were the photos upstairs; it revealed there is a growing skill in photography in Uganda. Some photos
were taken in ridiculous positions but came out looking gorgeous. The lighting, focus, colour was something to be proud of. Not to mention, Marcel Worms' dreamy piano playing in the main auditorium on Saturday.

Latif did this crazy thing where he made a dress for a model in around 5 minutes and my, wasn't she stunning!

At the end of the day, it seemed many of the people I knew were attending so for some part, it became a social event if you had not gone to the Goat Races or the Bride and Groom expo.

I loved it. Simply put. The diversity, the creativity, the flamboyance although we shall need more of that next time. One of the goals is to make Ugandan arts unique, whereas it is possible, I fear Uganda's arts are very cliche, it will need persistence, quality such as of Maurice Kirya to develop a distinct look for Ugandan art. Why am I ovcer Maurice Kirya-ing? Check this! My wish is that the festival becomes a must-attend on the international arts' calendar and that Ugandans become a bigger part of it than those they host from other countries.

If you missed Bayimba this year, wait patiently for the one next year. I think it is progress for arts in Uganda.

Sleep

What if I had an office job? In a proper organisation; maybe an NGO, advertising firm or something close to that? Perhaps I would actually sleep the prescribed 8 hours a normal human being should take.

This has been one crazy week; actually not just week, this current trend has taken 3 weeks. What trend? 3 -4 hrs of sleep per day.

Whereas the money is coming in, I am not as excited as before. Appointment here, call there, design here. Aya! My writing is even skewed. I cannot produce a piece of poetry anymore.

I need sleep.

This sort of striving is part of the work Christ came to put an end. Our accounts with God are too huge to be paid with our efforts. We end up stressed and tired like I am. When you believe in Christ as Lord and saviour you cease from labouring to pay back that debt because by grace He gifts salvation to you.Take note,Ephesians 2:8,9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

A performance based salvation is not existent- it is actually bondage.

The thing about rest/sleep is you cannot control it. You need to give up control for you to rest/sleep. Eevn with salvation, give up your ga efforts, they are filthy rags-capitulate to grace, and sleep. Give up and let Christ give you rest. Take note- Matthew 11:28,29Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

At the end of the day, Hebrews 4:10-For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.

Sleep now.