“Dream Big,Start small but most of all start..”-Simon Sinek

Hello there, My name is Antony,

I  would like to, first of all, welcome you all to my blog, herein I hope to share with you my life story, ideas, thoughts, aspirations so that we can grow together. Starting a blog has been at the back of my mind for the longest time since 2009. I tried setting up my first blog on Blogspot.com where I hoped to share my travel adventures but perhaps a lot kept distracting me. So many ideas thronged my mind and I began conjuring images of a successful travel writer already but I was reminded that the dictionary is the only place where success comes before work. My all-time favourite was Rupi Mangat from the Nation media group and I hardly missed her Saturday pull out columns and from where  I drew lots of inspiration. With time it hit me deeper that the idea of travel writing was very feasible and necessary at that time. I felt sharing my cultural and Natural Heritage to the world would help me send a strong message out there about the immense beauty that my generation had bequeathed from our forefathers. The ideas and notions of Environmental sustainability and responsible Tourism (Eco-tourism)  that I had learnt while at the University fired up my mind I felt this was to be another chance to create much more awareness about it.

While a close friend and I scouted the idea of having a proper site I was invested in it and we began searching for a professional website designer to help me set up, unfortunately, the man passed on before he could accomplish his final design. I had gathered draft pieces of possible articles that I needed to showcase however I was still crushed and griefing inside because of his sudden death. May his soul rest in peace. His professionalism was unmatched.I, later on, opened this blog in 2012 after realising WordPress.com was much more user friendly and was what I was looking for. My flame had been dimmed and the ideas I had shelved. I had however managed to pen an article for a school blog and that was it.

8 years since then a lot has happened. The first two years were spent winding up my undergraduate academic journey while the remaining six years marked an interesting mix between venturing into the labour market, Pursuing post-graduate education, Learning new cultures and languages, Joining professional associations, Making new friends, self-education. While least travel was involved apart from a few occasions when I got to traverse some parts of Kenya and even cross borders(East African border) it is at this point in history that I made my longest voyage yet outside Africa my motherland to explore a completely new culture and way of life to resuscitate my world outlook and perspective.

As I pen down this maiden article, I am marking my seventh month in France a country I hoped to visit in my wildest dreams. While it was relatively cold at first a lot has happened over the last couple of months from social unrest and now the latest pandemic COVID -19.While these are major highlights I have had a wonderful cultural immersion experience that I am looking forward to sharing in my subsequent articles. While I had hoped to maintain a low profile penning down book manuscripts this is yet another platform that I hoped I would share my experiences. This time around with dogged determination and strong will.

Rainer Maria Rilke a bohemian-Australian poet and Novelist in his “letters to a young poet” had this to say to the young aspiring poet, then 19-year-old who served as an officer cadet at the Theresian Military Academy in Weiner Neustadt and with whom he had correspondences.

so you want to be a writer? He posed 

the young man replied to the affirmative and this was his epic reply:

“Unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket don’t do it,………….This above all ask yourself in the stillest hour of the night. Must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer and if this should be affirmative you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple<< I Must >> then build your life according to this necessity. Your life even in its most indifferent and slightest hour must be a sign of this urge and a testimony to it”

This is the I-deal situation that we have been presented with to take deeper introspection into our lives, Summon our inner selves, Become much more self-aware and engage in productive work even as the Crisis rages on as medical researchers burn the midnight oil looking for a possible vaccine. Taking a shot at personal development and growth is inevitable with the right attitude. As a strong believer in the idea of learning, Relearning and unlearning I hope to learn a lot as we engage with one another. At times I might throw some bit of articles in French and some poetry perhaps this will help you learn more about me and as I learn more about you. Once again  BIENVENUE!!!!