African King and Queen

Growing up in Ghana, we had so many opportunities to enjoy nature, so we want to emulate that experience for our beautiful kids. The sunny days, rainy days, our long walks to and from school, the tall trees, fresh farm produce at the markets all made us appreciate nature. Some nights, it would rain so hard, the roofs felt like being hammered with rocks. As scary as that may sound, waking up to the cool breeze in the mornings to hear the chirping birds was something to look forward to.

The countryside/villages portrayed a better representation of nature, as its lands and rivers were well preserved. Therefore, we relished every occasion when we visited. We enjoyed the cheerful fresh air as the and sun beamed on our faces. The joy and beautiful smiles of our family and relatives as in excitement that we were visiting was soothing and very reassuring. As children, it was so much fun running around during the various traditional festivities, and meeting new relatives umm… so nostalgic.

In a way, we do have some guilt not being able to expose our lovely children to that kind of environment. But, we won't beat ourselves up too much, because when fall comes around, trust that we do all we can to get them out to enjoy the trees, some dirt, apples, pumpkins and some highly anticipated teasingly cold breezy New Jersey fall.

This week we decided to go for apple picking. We decided to go somewhere far from home, but not too far out beyond one state. We looked online for the best farms around, and most families enjoyed Masker Orchard in NY. We looked up how far a drive it would be and luckily it was only an hour away. So set of a little after 10 am, and we arrived before noon.

The temperature had dipped into the forties and later fifties, but we made the best out of our day. We valued this as another family moment to enjoy ourselves outdoors; and, most importantly, we got to treasure some quality family time outside our comfort zones. If there’s one thing we want to stress on our blog, is to “celebrate life, and enjoy your loved ones”.

We love being outdoors, as much as the weather permits. As much as we wish we could spend more time with our beautiful twins outdoors, most of the time, we are unable to, hence for this moment, we were eager to “make this happen”. It’s always a relief to take that breathe of fresh air, acknowledging life, health and God’s grace in our lives. Truly, we are humbled to experience these times; therefore we make sure to create lasting memories for us all.

Lets pick some apples.

Apple picking apparently is more popular in the American Midwest, as time passed, it has become more popular in our small family as well. So we set of to New York. We drove through winding roads and strikingly charming farmlands, picturesque valleys and curvilinear mountainous roads, and we finally reached our destination in due time. As we had anticipated, we were met with acres of farmland filled with all kinds of apples.

One thing that stood out with this farm was that, families could either drive or walk through the farm for apple picking. That was quite unique. We didn't expect to see that. We chose to walk, and it wouldn’t take long for our kids to adjust. Surprisingly, the weather was not a hitch at all. We think they really enjoyed being outside in their warm and cozy new winter jackets, and seeing that many trees with apples might have thrilled them.

Apple, Apple, Apple, repeatedly they screamed, and it didn’t take long for the crunchiness of the apples were heard making their way through their teeth. We ate some ourselves, and they were really good. Masker Orchard is truly an awesome experience, it was beyond a pick-it yourself apple orchard; it allowed us to enjoy the outdoors with our family, gave us an opportunity to enjoy fresh farm produce, appreciate nature, and gave us another experience in our hearts and photo gallery. Maybe, this could be our autumn family tradition location for apple picking for our lifetime, who knows!

Thank you for stopping by.
Celebrate Life!

Love,

AKQ Family.

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Run.

Just run.

The NYRR Staten Island half marathon is one of those memorable races that linger on a runners mind and heart for a long time. For numerous reasons, every runner has to give this race a shot, especially, if it is in close proximity to your geographical location. Like some runners I spoke to after the race, I didn’t know much about the race until I run it, and I didn’t go searching for any authentic online reviews detailing the race. Actually, I like being surprised by course maps, but I highly recommend not doing that for this race. I’ll tell you why shortly.

Running the Staten Island half marathon was the longest time I’ve spent on that part of NY, and it was worth it. The scenery was quite engaging, the misty morning, blue skies, and welcoming trees amidst a breezy fall morning. The coastline and the striking views of Brooklyn, NYC and other parts of New Jersey were worth experiencing.

Like I said earlier, it is a memorable race, and you will use all of your senses, so take a deep breath, maybe another one, and start slow. Initial descend downhill when the race starts is comforting and deceiving as it gradually welcomes you to this surprisingly hilly race. So, feel the zephyr comfortably with the way you dress, enjoy the amazing scenery, and take one step at a time making sure not to bump into anyone, or try to outpace yourself.

This race will remind you of your true self, and allow you to discover yourself in a way you never thought was possible. Trust, you will learn something new about yourself on every run, but for this particular half marathon, you have three choices, run with a clear mind, run with doubt of yourself, or run and make the best out of the stimulating experience of this race.

The most important advise for every runner is to train before this race. Training allows you to know yourself in terms of your pace, your limits, and understand what your body is able to do. Getting up early morning in colder months could be challenging, therefore, develop a routine to overcome this. Some runners use alarms and this is ideal if it works for you, for others motivation from other runners is perfect, and for others, a strong will of self-motivation to decide to wax the cobwebs from ones eyes work well. The third option works the best for me. Once a training regimen is enforced, the better the chances of overcoming the NYRR Staten Island Half Marathon.

Strongly advice that your training regimen incorporates multiple sessions of overcoming hills, and hills and some more hills. Ideally that’s the key for survival for the Staten Island Half Marathon.

Cheers !

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My Love,

So when I prayed and asked God for your hand in marriage, He didn't hesitate to make it come true, in less than a lightening strike, He blessed with you. Since then, I have felt invincible, and the peace in my heart, and joy within soul, outpours every second of time. Also, my relationship with God has gotten stronger because of you, you always remind us to put God first, and He has not failed us, so and I know we are both blessed.

From the time when you came into my life, my life has befitted better. I am more at peace and heart is always full of your love. The union we share is truly a testament of God's fulfillment of prayer and grace. I remember being single, and wanting to have someone to grow with and to accomplish my goals with. Trust me, I know how loneliness feels like. I know the difference between loneliness and being married to you. You make marriage worthwhile, and I’m happy to be your man.

Even in our hardships, you and I are able to find a common ground to lean on. Your selflessness, and desire to live your best life by giving wholeheartedly always amazes me. It easy to brag about you, especially on a day like this, but the essence of this letter is to show you my appreciation for all you do. Baby, I appreciate you. As a father, not being home as much as you would want me to, is something I’m working on. But, when I’m home, I get to see your magic of being a mother; it’s not easy, it’s no walk in the park especially with two beautiful babies who are too golden at times to be disciplined. I saw you put Zani on time out for 2 minutes for being naughty and it was so cute. All jokes aside, seeing the art you orchestrate in keeping our home fine-tuned with love and compassion, faithfully symbolizes the God in you.

As we continue to walk this voyage of love, every seconds that continues to tick reminds me of strength of our commitment and the sacrifices we make, therefore, it is my prayer that God remains in our marriage, and continues to grace us with countless love, more altruism, bliss, health, peace in our minds and hearts, infinitely. Loving you is the best thing for me at all times. You're always eager to explore ideas about our future, your love for our kids makes me smile always, as you make it seem like you've done this before. Your creativity is remarkable; you're pretty much a walking Pinterest everyday. I can write about you all day long, but I’ll keep it tidy and petite today.

It turns out that our anniversary falls on a Wednesday this year, but lets turn it into a Saturday, as we did on our wedding day; maybe, not just quite, because we both work today.

Happy anniversary baby! I don't ask much from you, but I ask much from God for you. I ask that he continue to grace you with good health, more happiness, and always be with you. I love you so much, and I'm not shy to let the world know. I'm very proud of your accomplishments, and I cannot live a day without you. Although I just went away for a week, and I could barely sleep at night because I was not with you.

I'm curious to see what else God has planned for us. Baby, let's continue on this love train, because, I'm enjoying every sound love makes in our lives. I'm enjoying being your man; I enjoy coming home to you for your warmth, beautiful smile, juicy hugs and kisses, your tight squeeze, and your love.

Come here baby, Lets Toast To Another Happy Anniversary!

I love You So Much!

Love,

Zaddy!.

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Such is the dance of life. Filled with passion, uncertainty, culture, human essence, caring, and cultivation of goodness for all. By far, this visit to Kenya will remain one of the best moments in my life, and I’m truly humbled to have been able to take part in such a selfless act for humankind.

It is my belief that giving back creates a heightened euphoria within oneself, which blends the qualities of selflessness, and calmly reawakens ones consciousness to do good without expecting anything material in return. This journey has taken my heart and mind to basic foundations of life, being a brothers keeper, caring for the less privileged and giving back with no strings attached. The fact that another person’s life changes well because of a selfless act of lending a hand in itself is a blessing from God.

The patients whom we got to interact with were very appreciative even if our team didn’t meet all their needs during their encounter. The ones whom were not able to benefit from our encounter, I’m forever broken-hearted. We couldn't solve all of their problems, but knowing that some would return to the same state we saw them is annoyingly frustrating. Some had terminal Illness that they were unaware of, and that was very sad to see.

After being part of this trip, I have become more humble because of going to Kenya of this medical mission. I have learned from some of the patients that even in the absence of barrage of material possessions, they appreciated the little they had, and were keen to seek healthcare. They didn’t drive or wore the best linen, but wore smiles, positive attitudes and kept warm hearts.

A harsh truth with later came to light was that the low income communities had the most adverse outcomes in terms of infant mortality, maternal adverse outcomes, complications of hypertension and diabetes. Nonetheless, the majority of them said they made sure to take their prescribed medications daily and refilled them as directed; but when it came to payment for laboratory studies and other relevant testing such as imaging, they couldn’t afford the costs, and this was heart wrecking for me to hear. There were diabetics with no HBA1C in years, and I can go on and on and on about my experience at this particular hospital, but the negative aspect could taint my reason for going to Kenya in the first place.

My team and I were successful in making recommendations, and they have wholeheartedly accepted our constructive criticisms, therefore, we have all agreed to follow up within 1 year. Now let me tell you about my Kenyan people’s character. I like to focus on the brighter side of things. They are kind, they are warm, and they are very compassionate, and even more hospitable and very comical in character. There’s poverty like everywhere else, but in the midst of that, there are impressive sights of architecture, which blends with their unique culture, dazzled in well tuned, groovy music.

Also, the Kenyan people are very in tune with life and western culture. They are very charming in receiving people from all walks of life, once again, humorous and very laid back. For someone reading this who plan to go to Kenya, I have to make emphasis that safety is paramount to the people of Kenya, and at every public place, there are tight security measures in place. There are camera’s everywhere, metal gates with armed guards at most public places. When it comes to staying abreast with the latest in technology, count them in. They’re sharp and boldly fine tuned with their gadgets. It’s common for a cab driver to allow the customer to connect to their wireless network as a form of customer service. They waste no time when it comes to showcasing their culture, and their smooth tongued Swahili could send one into daze. Most Kenyans seem very patriotic as they displayed some sort of Kenyan regalia on them, either a bracelet or something exemplifying Masai tradition.

Read Also : Guilty Views of Kenya

I didn’t get to explore the length and breadth of their cuisine, but the little that I had was quite similar to Ghanaian dish: Banku, fufu, and tilapia - steamed, fried or grilled. Quite tasty I must admit. I wish I had the time to get more of the food. Oh! let me tell you about their roads, they are very pleasant in most places in Nairobi, but engulfed in heavy traffic in the mornings and late evenings. There's so much traffic that at times it is suffocating, and this causes long wait times. But, wait a minute, remember that this is typical in major cities, and so don’t be judgmental. The long wait in traffic congestion serves as avenues for criminals to explore “Superman-like” skills to snatch phones and purses depending on ones vulnerability. So be very careful!

I love Kenha.

I know deep down that this will not be our last meeting. You’ve taught me a lot, but Kenha you have some work to do as well. I guess we both have some work to do. The most important lesson that I’m taking home is to be humble. We can all make a difference in our various communities if we all chip in our time and commitment. Let’s make this earth habitation an awesome one.

Asante!

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I have only been here within the last few days, lets say approximately 4 days, maybe I have seen too many underprivileged patients seeking medical care, and this has made me feel guilty waking up in a 5 star hotel. My view is excellent and charming, and relaxing. But I cannot say the same for the patients I'm about to go see today.

To make matters worse, when I think of the patients who slept with no heat in 57 degree (or lower degree) weather overnight; knowing that they had to make their way to the hospital via different modes of transportation with uncertainty of not feeling well, or not being able to afford the cost of healthcare, ignites such guilt within me. Imagine being so sick that you can barely function, and to make matters worse, you cannot afford healthcare, so you go to the hospital anyway, in hopes for a miracle. That's sad to me.

I have learned quite a few lessons here, and the core component of the lessons learned is humility, and "how privileged I am". As we drive to the hospital in the morning, the roads are winding, and not easy to navigate, and aside the hustle of weaving through traffic, and avoiding pedestrian accidents, the view in the Eastlands of Nairobi, Kenya is quite saddening. Hospitality in habitation is alien to this neighborhood, the smell of the gutters filled with dead garbage mixed with sewage, is barely appetizing or motivating. The homes (houses) have little or no spacing between them, seeing greenery is totally impossible, and marketplace is very congested.

Aside the poor living environment and unhealthy ambience that these patients face on a daily basis, they do not have better overall health outcomes. The access to health at the nearest hospital is limited in resources. The other hospitals that “could” possibly provide a better healthcare are too pricey for these citizens to afford. So I ask "what kind of cruelty is this"? The poor once again have to face more hurdles to life! We have to do better as a human race to take care of one another, in spite of the differences that exist amongst us.

This is the reason why when I wake up in such a high-class hotel on a medical mission, I am filled with such guilt, and I wish I could provide a better outcome for this patient population. It is heartbreaking, and I know I'm going to do something positive about this. I will be part of this positive change. I am informed, the government is taking measures to better this situation and improve outcomes, and that I would be ecstatic to see.

Medical Mission Stories,

Love Always.

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When Cash Rules in a Small Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪This guy got hit by car today while he was waking to the bank to deposit money given to him by a co-worker. Left barely conscious, his friend had to drive him to the ER since the driver fled the scene. As he waited to be called, he had a seizure, and was rushed in, and was later stabilized. Physical exam showed head trauma ++ skull fractures and altered mentation. His frontal lobe hematoma was very paramount, with pulsation and complete absence of presence of frontal bone. His case takes on an interesting but sad stance, it turns out that since he didn’t make it to the bank, the person who brought him to the ER was able to retrieve the money from his pocket; this was enough money to rent an ambulance to transfer him to a facility for imaging/trauma care. Not sure if he makes it.

This is just one single case of many within the short time of being here, characterizing this as sad experience will be an understatement, but if I categorize this as inhumane, I’m not sure if I stand to be politically correct/incorrect. Also, I’m not sure if this happens in the states, but as a human race, when do have make the health of others and ourselves an ultimate priority, and when does the lives of the poor become priority? From this experience, it is quite obvious that not "all" of the worlds problems can be solved in a day, but most of the worlds problems should come light in order for others to lend a helping hand. I still have a few more days here, but I’m already planning my next move, and I have so many questions and recommendations.

What happens when we leave ? If these are the ones who make it to the hospital, how about the ones in remote areas who do not have access to healthcare and transportation? More work has to be done from the upper and lower echelons on this beautiful country to alleviate the stresses impinged on its lower class population when it comes to their health. I have so many recommendations, but this post will not be ideal, as I'm still deciphering what happened to this patient i saw earlier today.

Moments from Kent Medical Mission...
Love Always.

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If you live in Northern New Jersey, the Montclair 10K is an absolute must run. I run it last year for the first time, and I was as excited today as I was last year. I remember being so thrilled to discover it; I didn't bother the look at the race route. As I had anticipated, the route channeled and sneaked through the beautiful Victorian homes, and showed of nice ambience of Montclair, NJ.

Last year, I enjoyed the run very much, and even though I started of too fast as I imprudently estimated a flat race, the snakingly friendly hills intermittently reminded me of the high demands of oxygenation that my body will have to endure to overcome them.

Amidst all, I finished at a good pace and met my goal in less than 60 minutes. I learned to pace myself, and not to be too intimidated when a 99-year old man/woman who has been running all her life passes me.

This morning, I said to myself, "self pace and enjoy the run". At 60 degrees, well deprived of rain, and blessed with a friendly cool breeze, one couldn't ask for a better Spring-Summer weather to run. Compared to last year, this year’s race was not as packed with many runners, and in a way was advantageous to-me. I arrived early, shortly before 9am, as it took me 0.7 miles to jog to the YMCA.

The kids’ race/2mile race had started and I was childishly so excited to see the kid’s race, I enjoyed every bit of it. Seeing other parents run with their infants in strollers, and people from all age groups run the two-mile was both inspiring and entertaining.

The time set for the 36th annual Montclair10K start(930am) is very convenient for those traveling far, and allows for enough time to arrive. The race finishes early enough for one to still soak in some daylight on a Sunday. In my case, I was able to run this year 10K today, and go work afterwards. Not too shabby!

The organizers also offered same day registration at a decent price. This I believe endorses the fluidity and convenience for runners who find out about this race at last minute.

Most importantly, this is a must run race because the proceeds goes towards a charitable cause: Montclair YMCA and the Montclair Recreation Scholarships.

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African King and Queen

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