Where my inner child lives so that the adult can thrive.
App-based games. Board games. Books. Game design. Film. Letters. Long Drives. Poetry. Podcasts. Scrabble. Outdoor. Puzzles.
play is how your soul knows that you are still alive
App-based gamesI am currently playing these three games: Best Fiends, Rusty Lake Paradise, and Wordle.
I enjoy playing Best Fiends as it combines really cool graphics with a candy-crush feel but includes destroying monsters, interesting collectables, and some really hard levels.
Rusty Lake Paradise always needs me to wear my logical hat. The game involves walking through a story (like one that needs to rid a village of a plague of fleas) and tackling clues throughout the village to get to the end of a level.
I have so far played over 120 Wordle games and maintained a 100% winning streak. I just don’t like how the streak is reset when you forget to play, which has happened to me 4 times now!
The first two games can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple Store, and Wordle is on the NYTimes site.
Other online games that I have enjoyed include Scateggories (perfect for virtual group-based sessions), Powerpoint Karaoke, and Virtual Scavenger hunt game (find an example we used during our session here).
Board GamesMy favorite board games are Kumiliki (the Kenyan version of monopoly), 30 seconds, and Kenya’s 50-50. I buy most of my board games from GameNights254.
BooksI am still a lover of hard-copy books. I have not been hit by the Kindle bug yet - and I hope not to. My current stack of to-read books has Ikigai, Grit, and Halftime. Ikigai is a balm for the soul. It is one of the books I have restarted severally because each word is precious.
My to-reread stack has Start with why, Rest, and Made to Stick. Made to Stick is one of the best books about innovation that I have ever read. It is so good it cannot be read once.
One thing that I missed during the height of the pandemic is flying because I read quite a lot on long-haul flights.
When I am not buying books at airport bookstores, most of my books have been bought from Exclusive Books in Cape Town, and Nuria Books and Textbook Center in Nairobi.
Game DesignDuring the pandemic when learning moved online, I designed my first adventure game purely on Google Forms, to reduce the negative effects of online learning among mentees at KamiLimu. I was inspired after playing the Spy Apprentice game.
The first game I created is “Rescue Chao” based on the premise that I have disappeared and people need to find me. It’s a deliberately complex puzzle that took many hours to create and might take a couple of hours to figure out. I enjoyed using my love for film, travel, and putting together clues to design this.
Later, Mwaniki Nyaga and I designed a second game, “Gassed up” based on an outdoor adventure story. This was particularly enjoyable because we went out to take actual pictures that were used to create the game.
We have also designed a number of trivia games over at Kahoot, and I use Slido quite a bit to create icebreakers before and during workshops.
All games can be played by a group or individually.
FilmI religiously watch the Academy awards because it’s a ritual any hardcore cinephile has to fulfil, Oscar shenanigans and issues aside. My favourite part is making the predictions prior to the Oscars. For the 2022 Oscars, I had an 18/23 correct prediction rate.
I do not have a favourite movie or TV show because there are way too many great stories and talent out there that it would be unfortunate to narrow it down to favorites. But, here you will find my list of 6 great monologues that have graced our screens.
Below are a movie, documentary, and two TV shows that I have watched and would highly recommend. I will update this list at the end of each month.
LettersI enjoy well-written letters. Unfortunately, I think it is a dying art and communication form that should be preserved at all costs. When I am not scouring posts by Letters of Note, I enjoy finding and reading letters written in the past. My three favorites are:
‘He is already your slave, this would make him mine’, letter to Marylin Monroe.
‘His eyes may be on the sparrow, but my eyes are on you’, letter to Elizabeth Taylor.
An angry letter to a columnist.
Long DrivesA long drive is a stress-buster and an opportunity to listen to loud music. The marvelous invention that is a car is wonderful because you can set off to somewhere in no particular hurry, find a diversion, and explore it. What’s more, drives can be taken solo to clear one’s head and to enjoy own company, or with others for the banter, music, and exploration.
I took the pictures below while on a drive at: Nyamira, Kenya; Meru, Kenya; Migori, Kenya; Seattle, USA.
PoetryFavorite poems:
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou.
I have come for friendship, by my brother, James Mbogho.
Where are those songs, by Michere Mugo.
PodcastsI started listening to podcasts a lot more during the pandemic lockdown, thanks to being introduced to them by a friend. Over the last 2 years, I have found excellent podcasts that accompany me on my long walks, long drives, downtime, and to recommend to friends.
Here are my 4 favorite pods, which you can find wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Swindled, a true-crime podcast that is as witty as it is incredibly well researched. My favorite episodes are on: Mother Teresa, Tinder Swindler, and FIFA.
Unlocking Us, a delightful podcast on what it means to be a great human while embracing our emotions and vulnerability. My favorite episodes are on: Burnout (with Emily and Amelia Nagoski), The four pivots (with Dr. Shawn Ginwright), and New Rules of Leadership (with Abby Wambach).
The Diary of a CEO, is chock-full of lessons on leadership, humanity, and continuous growth. My favorite episodes are on: Heartbreak and failure with Elizabeth Day (ep 77), and Success and learning with Simon Sinek (episode 145).
The Knowledge Project, is one of the most well-done podcasts with very thoughtful and insightful questions. My favourite episodes are on: Failing towards mastery with Seth Godin (ep 105), The crisis of loneliness with Noreena Herts (ep 114), the Essence of leadership with Randall Stutman(ep 96), and Learning how to learn with Barbara Oakley (ep 31).
ScrabbleMy father taught me how to play Scrabble, and I have not stopped playing since I was young. When I am not playing with someone on the traditional scrabble board, I am on ScrabbleGo playing online. Some of the amazing words I have played include Quickens for 248 points, Tequila for 91 points, and getting 70 points after playing the word ‘Seventy’.
OutdoorThe first two pictures were taken at Karura Forest, Nairobi, Kenya, where I now walk at least twice a week during the week when human traffic is low. The peace and one-ness with nature at Karura is truly therapeutic. The third picture was taken at the Indian Ocean in Diani, and the fourth at the ball pit at Mozilla Offices in San Fransisco.
PuzzlesI used to love completing puzzles in my teenage years, a hobby that was abandoned while growing up. I have now revisited my old love with much enthusiasm, especially since I learned how to frame the puzzles.
The first picture is the current puzzle that I aim to complete in the next two weeks. The second is a completed one, and the third is the puzzle framed (instructions for framing below). The fourth picture shows two un-opened puzzles that I am excited to start in the next two months. I purchase all my puzzles from GameNights254.
To frame a puzzle: ensure you work on the puzzle on top of a manila paper as shown in pic 2. Once you complete the puzzle, pour a generous amount of super glue and spread the glue on the surface of the puzzle. Leave the puzzle to dry at least overnight. After it dries, pull out the manila from underneath the puzzle and ensure that you can lift the puzzle as one piece. Get a carpenter to build a frame for the puzzle.
