The Chinese people have a cautious approach to war. Their caution is educated by a number of proverbs, short sentences of not more than five to six words but pregnant in interpretation. These stratagems are condensed from an absolute classic which is authored by a former General (Sun Tzu, appropriately written as Sun Zi), and which I have just acquired, The Art of War. The 36 stratagems of war, actually called the 36 Ancient Chinese Stratagems of War have been interpreted in many aspects and some of them are now applied by the most successful business executives all over the world. In the interest of society, I have sought out the explanations of these and wish to find out Nandi (Kalenjin) language equivalents. In due course I shall juxtapose these alongside the Chinese ones. I hope that reading them hones your business, academic, family and social stratagies. I have borrowed the explanations offered by somebody else, the Chinese explanations are beyond any young Chinese to interpret adequately, certainly it is Chinese to me!

School strikes are a result of our school systems not having a workable mechanism to get feedback from the students. Teachers talk to and talk at the students while ignoring the contributions of the same. The communication is single-lane. What is missing is democracy in high school. Prefects are appointed by and are therefore the administrative agents of the school administration. Indeed, I am neither aware of the provisions in the education act nor presence in our high schools of a students' union into which they elect representatives that communicate their desires/demands to the school administration. Where there is absence of a mechanism of effective communication from the students of their problems and wishes, the best language becomes stone-throwing, arson and rampage. For it seems this is the language that will ring the most visible indicators of trouble within.

There is a Nandi language dictionary, actually a Nandi-English cum English-Nandi dictionary. It is written by Jane Tapsubei and her husband Prof. Chet Creider of the Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Canada. Tapsubei has penned other rivetting must-reads like the one I have just wrapped up 'Two Lives: My Spirit and I' and another which is on the way here, entitled 'The Shrunken Dream (International Connections)'. Chet met Tapsubei, I gathered from the first book, when he was researching for his doctorate degree. Those times must have been difficult for any Nandi, indeed Kalenjin girl, and the struggles to break away from separated parents filled with hate for each other, to try and balance one's love for both of while not taking sides and the pressure to succeed drove Tapsubei to Canada and the future she now enjoys. Although entirely unrelated, Tapsubei's story sounded familiar to me.

It resonated with the story of my sister, Cherotich Cheison , who had to rediscover herself at the ripe age of 28, go back to primary school (class eight), do exceptionally well and proceed to high school (Moi Girls, Eldoret) from where she even did better and is now reading Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nairobi. Cherotich did all these as a mother of two, divorced by a young man who had no value for a woman. Quite a journey this, that our daughters travel! I am trying to find out more about Tapsubei's family. For now all I know is that the father belonged to the party of Kabianga, but I haven't been able to piece together the oreet (clan). Nonetheless, Tapsubei has done what we all should be proud of: documentation of our language in the context of removing the 'pumbavu' tag from anything African.