Velkom the Vim Views & Versions!

While I was in Ghana over the Christmas break, I thought of my blog. I had missed blogging. I was browsing mostly on my HTC Aria phone powered by Android using Vodafone's mobile internet. Power to you, Vodafone. My laptop decided not to turn on once I got to Ghana so I was computerless. I couldn't get to use my brother or sister's pcs, because they were on it a lot. It didn't really occur to me to blog using my phone. Too much to type. That brought up another idea. Who said blogs should be 6 paragraphs? No one. If someone did, I'm not buying it. Blogging should be fun. Why so serious? Anyway, Why so serious was the title of my blog when I started it. It was chosen because this blog would be a place for me to speak my mind, promote people and projects, air out opinions, publicize things, etc. And I was going to do it my way, in a witty and funny way cos there is no reason why we can't talk about serious things in an 'unserious' way. But, this Christmas, while in Ghana, surrounded by the people I love the most, another thought clouded my mind. The thought was a word. The thought was with the word. The word was/is/will forever be "Vim".

Where from "Vim" anyway? This has been my favorite word since maybe March 2010. It became popular with me when Nana Boroo's Aha yɛ dɛ song started growing on me. Nana Boroo is another of the Tema rappers who are clouding the spotlight in Ghana today. Aha ye de was his debut single, and it featured S. K. Blinks, a Togolese singer, who gave the song a Coupe Decale flavour. The result was a song that was part-hiplife, part-coupe decale, and one bound to be a hit all over West Africa. I loved the song from the start and I still do. It's going to go down as one of my favorites ever. Ever. Best believe that. In the song, he sings. Click for video

Aha yɛdɛ o, aha yɛdɛ o, beebia awu!
Aha yɛdɛ o, aha nyɛ butubutu ei o, beebia awu!
....
Ka sɛ vim, vim, afei momma me vim

The Aha ye de translation is as follows - "Here is nice, here is nice, everywhere else is dead." "Here is nice, here is not chaotic, everywhere else is dead". You could debate whether beebia is 'everywhere or everywhere else' but the point is - This place where we are right now, is the best place to be. Period. The vim translation is as follows - "Say vim, vim, now, give me vim". Firstly, this place is the place to be and I want you to give me more vim. Now, what is Vim? No, it is not Dettol or Omo. Vim is "lively or energetic spirit; enthusiasm; vitality". Vim is also "strength, force, power, energy". How can you not like this song and then the word?

The stars aligned and it turned out 2010 was also a World Cup year. The first one in Africa, to be held in South Africa. The Mzansi Mundial. 6 African teams, including the glorious and golden Black Stars of Ghana. "Aha ye de" was the top song in Ghana last summer and rightly so, it became the rallying song for Ghana's national football team. I sang "Aha ye de" all the time. When I had to sing the vim part, I pump my fists. If I didn't do it, I pumped my fists in my heart. In my mind. In my body. In my soul. And the Black Stars did not disappoint. They rode the 'vim' all the way to the quarter-finals, a place an African team hadn't been since 1990 (Cameroun's Indomitable Lions). They became the hope of Africa, just the way Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah always dreamt of it. They became BaGhana BaGhana, the sole remaining representative of Africa United. They gave birth to new African shining stars; Asamoah Gyan, Kevin Prince-Boateng and the man I call the 'embodiment of vim' - Andre Dede Ayew. Just watch him play and you'll understand.

"Vim" became the rallying rage. The calling card to action. The enthusiastic encouragement. The forceful fire. The Tsooboi thesaurus. The enduring energizer. The vital vigor. The passionate power. Yes, we get the point. If someone needed encouragement, the word was vim. The someone did something well, we greeted him/her with vim. Goodbye was replaced with vim. Let's go do this made way for vim. Yes we can was weeded out for vim. The sign of approval was now vim. In fact, the real word was "more vim". 1+1=1. So that is why "vim" has become my favorite word. You will hear me say it, write it, type it, do it, forever. Even when the word 'vim' is out of place (I am thinking of how that might even happen), I will bring vim there.

So the new name for my blog is "The Vim Views & Versions". Anything that makes me say "vim" would go up on my blog if I am interested enough to make it happen. This is African. Why so serious? Not so much, it's borrowed from the Dark Knight. There are a lot of dark knights in Africa, but they are driven by vim. The Black Stars' shine in the Mzansi Mundial was the epitome. That was African excellence. We have many Black Stars off the field being excellent in many ways. This blog is a dedication to all the Africans and fans and lovers of Africa who make us say "Vim". There are varying views of how vim can be interpreted and various versions of visualizing vim. The MIghTy African is going to host as many as he can like he always has. Now, give me vim.

#VIM!

Yes, VIM is carrying Africa too