Ethnic tendancies

I was thinking about this today. Its amazing how "tribalistic" some Kenyans are, it's a phenomenon that doesnot leave them regardless where they end up (socially or geographically).

Two days ago I was in a city I havenot visited in 7 years and met some black "brothers and sisters". As soon as I mentioned that am from Kenya, one American guy promptly told me he will introduce me to some XYZ Kenyans (where XYZ is a Kenyan tribe that shall remain anonymous).

I kept asking to myself, why would these Kenyans insist on identifying themsleves thus? Most African countries have multiple ethnicities (yes even Botswana does) but in my XX (where XX is a large number) yrs experience living in the diaspora, Kenyans and Nigerians rank way above everyone else in unhealthily identifying their ethnicities before the nationalities.

That said, socio-ethnic tensions are not necessarily unique to the continent. My recent experiences have reminded me of the similar societal conditions. Canada has been dealing with the separatist Quebec issue since the 1970s (thankfully with only traces of physical
violence but with extensive violence against the national psyche...last week the finance minister announced the federal budget and basically "bribed" the province to stay on after their provincial elections today). Spain has been dealing with the Basque separatists
for years (rather painfully). Tamils in Sri Lanka, East Timorese from Indonesia and of course the obvious two some (Yugoslavia that broke into 6 states and USSR that broke into 15 states). The list is endless, Pakistan and India, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Sudan, Czechoslovakia, Somalia etc

Each of these situations of course have their own of set of unique issues but, in very general terms, they demonstrate trends that are worrisome.

In Ottawa

Used VIA RAIL from Tdot to Ottawa.

• I loved the journey, started reading a book "Bitter Fruit" written by my CEO and got to half way by the end of the journey! It's pretty obvious am yet to learn a lot more about South Africa and where it has come from.
• I stole some moments between flipping the pages to see the last stages of a snow laden landscape as spring spread it's wings.
  
• Found a very lively cab driver who decided to give me an impromptu tour of city "on the house", very quick to mention where I should go for "cheap shopping". Do I really shop?
  
• The hotel is amazing though I didn't get a great view.

Am not tired, just want to catch up on a few channels like BET but can't seem to find it...this is why I wish I was back in Tdot.

In Toronto

Just landed in T dot. It's been a while, last time was in the summer of 1999...a different time in my life. The weather looks like spring but feels like winter...blame it on global warming? Am told this was one of the worst winters in recent memory...am hoping for the best.

The hotel looks quite good and as soon as I got in, I could already see it's walking distance to a lot of areas.

However, with the jet-lag coupled with the frantic efforts to contact my bank to report "swallowed bank card" I had no time to enjoy my surrounding.

Going to bed, need the sleep!