Blogging from Islii

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Haye, masoo noqonee? Waa u bogtay waa arkaayee. Just ask Nuune, who can't resist being away from Islii more than a year.

[Che -Guevara]

I will definitely go back to Kenya and pay a visit to Islii just cuz I had such good welcome. The place isn't bad-they just need to fix roads and sewage system.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

You are not the only one who says that. Welkam back hee.

[nuune]

lol@ MMA, waxaan ka yaabi in uu Che isla sanadkanba soo noqdo, kolleey khibrad fiican wuu kala tagey hada

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Haa, widaay, wuu soo noqonaa, taas isweydiis maleh. Isla sanadkaan waliba. Che indhaha ayaa u furmee.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Today's blog: Cable system

 

When it is said Islii is truly 'a city within a city,' it is darn right. Even down its own isbitaalo, bankiyo and cable system.

 

Islii got its own cable system. It costs around $6 to $8 per month, but with a twist. Since Islii got its own xaafado called 'sections,' then the cable guys have their own blocks. Qofka leh cable wuxuu leeyahay some blocks, lama isku saqajaamo. They have their own monopoly. Sadexdii ama afartii jid yar yarba qofaa u qaabilsan the cable. Should you happen to live, say, in 10th Street and want to have a cable, hal qof bas la xiriireysaa, asagaa kuu soo gilinaayo. Kuwa kale xaafadaha kale kuuma imaan karaan.

 

About the cable, the owner of the satellite dish has access to all international channels, but he chooses about 30-35 channels. Wuu kuu kala bad badali karaa even. Markuu banooni live socdaan, wuu soo wada deynaa, up to six channels. Haddee ka baxaana he changes the channels to movies and other stuff. Kuwa banooniga iyo filimaanta bas isku bad badalaa. Kuwa kale waa permanent, mana taabto, like both Aljasiiras.

 

And then there are Soomaali channels. There are seven of them -- One from Xamar called Telefashinka Qaranka, laba from Hargeysa la kala yiraahda Horn Cable iyo mid kale, laba from London la kala yiraahda Universal iyo Soomaali Channel.

 

And then there are the two Islii-based minor channels: Mid heeso Soomaaliyeed muuqaal iyo maqal ah bas soo wada saaraa, midka kalena filimaanta Hindida oo Afsoomaali lagu turjumay.

[Valenteenah.]

^ That's very organised. But surely they can't make much money from singular blocks? Do you know what brought this sharing policy about?

[Baashi]

MMA in Eastleigh huh

 

I was there not long ago -- Feb. '11. Didn't know my man MMA and his old man was there. Maa caleesh though

 

Quite a place I tell ya. Dirty, dusty, crowded, full of wheelers and dealers, merchants and what not. That place is full of life. I ran into a lot of folks: friends, relatives, old sweethearts, neighbors and classmates. I ran into my fourth grade classmate -- Dinosaur era in Farjano elementary years.

 

I ran into Sophist in a restaurant I can't bother to remember the name of the restaurant -- it is located in somewhere downtown Nairobi. My man Sophist with his new shiny iPad -- Kenyan girls (affluent types) were starring at him and he was waving it in their face Couldn't resist.

 

While I am on the blubber mode let me say this. If you have the fire in the belly there is money to be made in Eastleigh. The place is teeming with ideas and opportunities. You'd appreciate Somalis' can-do will-do attitude. The nomads has in them something unique I can't quite put my finger on

 

On the dark side though -- qat addicts, prostitutes, abject poverty, con men, clan shamans, wadad-wannabees, you name it and they are around the corner. Mahjabaad with full niqab and hijab gear on doing stuff that lady ga ga might frown upon. Eastleigh is a just like Kismayo, Marka, and Benadir in their heydays.

 

*awoowe leaves humming with Musheeg's melody:

Lacageey, lacageey,

Ragga kala labeysaay,

Liitaha gadhgaadhaay,

Haween lahashadoodaay,

Laqan hoos u celisaay;

 

Lurkeedii habeenadan,

Hurdo lediba waayee

[genius pauper.]

just to add, wa sualee, dumarka joogo islii wiliba, gabdhaha, maxa wada cadeeyay? bal horta maufiirsatay? walee wa yaab:confused::confused:.

hadana, hadaad ukuur gasho, gabdhaha shopping mall-yada shaaha geeyo, badankooda waa wada garoobyo. horta ma aragtay, islii dumar badan ayaa

kusilacsan, ee intii laguursado, hadana lafuraa. the furniin rate is very high.

 

waxaana oogu daran, gabdho yar yar, oo garoob ah ayaad arki. ilahoow sakhir umuuraha. badanaa, raga kayimaaado dibadaha, ayaa sabab u ah. inteey guursadaan gabdhaha yar ayeey hadana so furaayaan.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Valenteenah, oh, sister, they do make a lot of money. For example, our building consists in six stories with 36 units. And each unit pays 500 shillings. That is 17,500 shillings. That is around $215. This just in our building alone. Some units in our building do pay each room that has a TV, say two to three TVs in a unit and that is 1,500 shillings. The reason is that reerkahaas, mostly iskaabulo wiilal iyo gabdho ah, qol qol u kala deganyihiin, though same flat unit isla deganyihiin. And there are a lot of buildings in each block.

 

The guy aan ka qaadano cable rules three to four streets/blocks. I can imagine he easily getting around $3,000 a month minimum, if not more. This is Afrika, waa lacag badan qofkii intaas ku sameeyo inta a month.

 

Baashi, widaaygiis, ma nooleed. Looooooooong time, indeed. Ileen waa joogtay. Isliina waa u bogtay, I see. And I can guess the restaurant you met Sophist at is the Soomaali owned cafe/restaurant located in the prime area of downtown. Soomaali-Canadian Reer Ottawa ah leh.

 

Mahjabaad with full niqab and hijab gear on doing stuff that lady ga ga might frown upon.

Ar Baashi aad ugu yaabiyeen.

 

By the way, saaxiibkaa, the classmate from Xasan Qariidi, my brother, ayaa Nayroobi joogo now. Daraad ayuu ka yimid UK.

 

Pauper, waa runtaa, garoobyada yar yar gabdho ah aad iyo aad ugu badanyihiin. Intaa arkay waa ka yaabayba. Aad u badanyihiin, badankoodana hal heystaan ama waxba ma dhalin. Laakiin garoobyada aan arkay Soomaaliya ka wada imaadeen, oo reerahooda soo diray inay nafsadooda badbaadsadaan.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Today's blog: Makiinadaha Cajiinka

 

Seeing makiinadaha cajiinka in Islii was a bit surprise for me. Not that surprised, it was expected, but still. Same old makiinado cajiinka aan ku arki jiray Suuqa Bakaaraha ayaa yaalo, same old women hor fadhiyo, same strong, young men shiidaayo cajiinka. Inaa Suuqa Bakaaraha pre-war dhex joogo ismoodayba.

 

I will take their pictures soon.

[Baashi]

How is your old man doing? Great I hope.

 

Say hi to my old classmate and old friend for me pls. It's been ages...Hassan Qariidi Middle School...oh boy I feel really old now

 

Waryee Miskiin don't tell me you are not down with fruitcakes Irresistible huh? I know:) And don't tell me you don't have a profitable side dish spitting green for ya. Biz is the name of the game there buddy and you gotta claim your stake now.

 

By the way go get and sip tea with Sophist.

 

All the best.

[Zinki]

Very enjoyable thread. Informative too. Thanks MM.

 

I was wondering about the telephone system in Islii. I heard many people in the UK orUS or Canada call Islii for free using US or Canada phone code i.e Someone in the UK calls US or Canada number, then they punch the Kenyan number and for them it is free (as many phone companies in the UK offer free calls to US, Canada and many other European countries). If you have heard of them, could you please tell me the company#s name and the monthly cost. I know of relatives in Bosasso or Hargaysa have this system.

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Today's pictorial blog: Bannaanbixii shaley ka dhacay Islii lagu taageeraaye Farmaajo

 

 

Bannaanbaxyaasha at Gaarisa Looj. Qofkii yaqaano ayaa jaqaano Gaarisa Looj.

 

 

 

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Sinki, Adaa mudan marka koowaad.

 

About telefoonaadaas aad i weydiisay, I think that was a bit popular some years ago, not now. I hadn't seen or heard any one person who uses a North American or European line now. One reason this option is no longer popular is that the communication rates became cheaper and cheaper. It is a lot of cheaper now. Calling North America from Nayroobi, for example, costs three Kenyan shillings now on Safaricom. That is around three to four (US) cents per minute, I think.

 

Compared to how expensive it was a few years ago, this is a lot cheaper. You can even get more cheaper if you go to kiosks with net cafes operated by Soomaalida in Islii.