The other day we were having lunch with a friend and as is with any great company, we had some good conversation going. One of the things we talked about is how challenging life is becoming as years go by. It doesn’t matter which area of life you look at but the truth is, challenges are in all aspects of life. So as we were talking about the professional front, I realized that both of us were going through the same issues; betrayal, backstabbing, bad-mouthing, etc. You name it, we have either encountered it in the past or we are experiencing it now.

2014 is finally here with us and if you can read this, it means you and I have been given another chance, another opportunity and definitely another privilege to see the new year. So, without further ado, may I take this opportunity to deliver my New Year greetings to you all, and to wish you the very best of what this year has to offer.

It is exactly three days to the New Year and even though 2013 has 365 days like any other non-leap year, for me it has seemed like it has been twice as long. I am not superstitious but at some point during the year I was tempted to think that the “13” in the year was a sign of ill-luck. However, like someone once said, you don’t need to be in class for you to learn a new thing… how true this is! This year has been a serious learning ground for me.

I can’t remember the last time all News TV Stations the world over decided to broadcast the same live feed like they did during the late Nelson Mandela’s funeral on the 15^th December, 2013. I am glad they did this because then they made it possible for all those who couldn’t attend the funeral physically to do so virtually. It was a day filled with mixed feelings.

I don’t know about you but lately, there are two things that are threatening to drive me insane; the crazy heat that has hit Dar Es Salaam, and the maddening traffic I have been experiencing daily for the last three weeks. For the heat, one might say that it is easy to manage it by use of an air condition or a fan; in an ideal world this would work, but not when the power supply company is left to determine when and where to supply this precious commodity, as has been the case in the last few weeks.

Once again it is that time of the year we all look forward to having a mandatory break from all the happenings of the year. For those coming from the slopes of Kilimanjaro, they are probably working on ensuring their vehicles are in top shape because as is customary to them, they have to go home for what many jokingly call “the annual census”.

6th December, 2013, the day the world woke up to the news of the passing of Nelson Mandela, one of the world's most courageous leaders. South Africa, in fact the whole world will for the next few days be saying goodbye to a great human being and an incredible inspiration. It is strange to be feeling this loss considering the Statesman died at the fulfilling age of 95 years, and even though there was every sign that this time he might not make it, I don’t believe there was anyone who was quite prepared for his death.

The other day I met someone who surprised me by his way of thinking. He is married to a housewife but it seems he wants her to get a job. So every time he sees me, the one question he keeps asking me is whether I have managed to get a job for his wife. The funniest thing is, I don’t even know the wife, I don’t know what kind of a job she would be interested in and whether she even wants a job in the first place.