I took some time to rethink the direction that The African Accent is taking. I have concluded that I should keep it as it is – casual, personal and a bit rough on the edges. Although I am now doing some formal writing for a few sites going for that African angle, I don’t want to taint this sanctuary with their ideology.

And to that end, I want to share a few thoughts that have been inspired by a combination of my teenage excesses, the perceived feathers that I ruffled during that time and my reputation as a care-free soul.

When I say that my reputation precedes me, it is not a figure of speech. Just last week, I spent a weekend with fellow countrymen and women from the motherland, Kenya. Although I had never met these fun loving folks in person before, they had heard about me – it turns out that I am some sort of Kenyan urban legend in Canada.

This was not an isolated case – somebody else who visited Toronto over a weekend in August mentioned something similar.

“While I was in Toronto, I met somebody who knew you from your Ottawa days. Let’s just say that your reputation precedes you. LOL!”

On Twitter, another good pal in Nairobi said, “Met some of @mwistar’s Ottawa peeps. His exploits can be heard a whole world away.”

I didn’t ask what was said about me, but from the sounds of it, I don’t think it’s the stuff I want to put on my resume. Nevertheless, it is part of my urban legend and I will be happy to hear from anybody who has heard about Mwistar in Canada.