Thursday, 28 January 2010

MONOPOLY

Tuesday was Liberation Day here. We were observing the day the National Resistance Movement, led by M7, captured (that must be the right word. I've heard that Kenyatta would get offended and verbally insult you if you said that 'we' were granted freedom by the Brits. "Tulinyakua Uhuru" was right-er) power in Kampala after 5 years in the bush. I forget from whom the country was liberated. M01 was also around, pushing forth for a 4th term of the M7 presidency. Elections are early next year.


When I got back into town in the evening, I got together with some friends and we played Monopoly. It was a first for me.


After learning the rules, I bought some property when I could, refused to make early deals that would have seen me develop some from which I could have earned rent, or even allowed me to buy more, and refused to buy property I thought too cheap and in bad neighbourhoods. That you earned 200 bob every time you passed by sounded like a Mungiki-infested area.
The end? The guy who got the cheap stuff made a fortune, and was able to buy and develop other properties. Which made me broke because I had to pay too much rent. I had to mortgage my houses at half price, and ended up selling my properties to merely pass by. In the end, I was left with no property, was penniless and, I imagined, homeless.


I was shocked. Not because I lost the game (I can explain! It was my first time, and I was the second to go bankrupt, out of four people. The first loser was the mugaga-sonko-in an earlier game before I got there). I don’t want to live my life like that. We all started with exactly equal opportunities, but two of us were wiped out. Just wondering could life be like that?
In the next five years, I’ll focus investing for the long term, and on cash-flow outside my job in the medium term. Medium term is now through the next 5 years. God willing, and helping me. Starting........soon!


Ultimately I think Monopoly is a game of chance. But isn’t life? I think a more appropriate name for the game would have been Capitalism. Like, you are either going to eat or be eaten. You know, like the animals I saw on National Geographic at the same venue some time earlier. Because I’ve never been to Maasai Mara, neither do I have DSTV (who’s the other new Pay-TV guy after the death of GTV, R-TV? See, it’s a game of chance). Not until this coming weekend, anyway. Way to get that positive cash-flow, you know?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

P.K.W,
Some stuff is best left OUT OF YOUR BLOG. You played monopoly for the FIRST TIME THIS YEAR??? Sacrilege! Even worse is you lost.. And you even went on to claim that its a game of chance! It is NOT. Its a game of strategy. Requires gr8 planning and vision!

Bomseh said...

Played Monopoly when I was young. I only seem to remember that Mayfair was the most expensive property. The game takes forever, so I learnt Chess instead. Less boring and it is real combat.

PKW said...

raymondchepkwony: the thing is, this blog does not exist to create an impression! But thanks, I have my Vision 2014.

Bomseh: Someone on the same gang was teaching me chess last year, and was telling me about the different pieces. For some reason, Bishop didn't stick. At one point I was like "How did you say the Pope moves?" On a lighter note, when you are in your 20s and you're posting on a 30-something year old woman's blog, avoid phrases like "when I was young". I'm just saying

KR said...

Hi Ms PKW,

I was interested in how you chose your real estate investments. I identify with wanting to invest in the 'nice' areas and not in low cost neighbourhoods. But in reality low cost neighbourhoods give better returns on investment. I read a while back that when you invest in a slum area you get your money back in 9 months. Try matching that anywhere else in Nairobi!

LOL at where the 'pope' moves but since I don't know how to play monopoly it is just half a laugh.

And have you played the cashflow 101?? - a game by Richard Kiyosaki of 'Rich Dad Poor Dad' fame.

Have a great week ahead!

PKW said...

KR:
I was dumb, I waited till I could get a chance to buy prime areas. And you can't develop till you own adjacent properties. AND I refuesed to deals that woud enable me buy adjacent properties because I was eyeing more expensive properties.

No, I've never played Cashflow 101, I'll be on the lookout for it. Someone please invent a game called Cashcow?

Cee said...

Ati nimepitia nione the comments that came after mine, kumbe I didn't comment when I read the post. arrrggghhh sawa tu. In life somtimes you win sometimes you lose, you just have to increase the chances of winning and reducing those of losing to succeed

Unknown said...

PKW.. this is a great article IMO... read "Rich dad poor dad" by Robert Kyosaki... Many kenyans don't realize that a "dream house" is NOT an investment.

It helps to look at your personal cashflow and see whether it ends up in your pocket or someone else's.

You still have time to find your path.

You can set small, incremental and measurable goals and write them down on a "to do list" that you can cross out as you progress.

Additionally on a Monthly / Quaterly Basis:
1. Document and Track your cash "inflows" and "outflows". See where the pennies go.

2. Track your assets. Is your net worth increasing over time?

3. Have a personal Profit and loss statement. Are your assets working for you?

2008 was a tough year for everyone. But the future looks brighter... All the best!

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The Niffler said...

i am also looking at ways to grow incomes outside of my current job. shockers is... i meet lotsa movers and shaker, decision makers even but i cant for the life of me come up with even one selleable concept.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing. Like at all times, on the money and right on object!