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Obama's half Brother Mark's Statement at the Press Conference
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In the Press Conference for “Pre-Launch” of Nairobi to Shenzhen, Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo has made a statement about his novel:
Dear friends, associates, ladies and gentlemen:
I wish to make a statement and then will allow a limited number of questions.
First thank you for coming today. I also wish to thank my family, my parents, my siblings, and my wife, for their support as I was writing this book. Special thanks to Harley Seyedin and his team for their continued support in this and other charity related events. Of course I am indebted to the Chinese people who, in their warmth, graciousness and magnanimity who, gave me the space and freedom to live, work and create in the city of Shenzhen these past seven years.
Nairobi to Shenzhen, is my first published novel. The protagonist, upon arriving in China in the wake of 9/11 and the onset of a terrifying global war, is forced to confront his early experiences in Kenya and the United States as a result of his growing love for a beautiful Chinese woman and a young orphan. Parallels between his own upbringing and the potential family that lies before him lead to questions about his true identity, the complexities of his multi-racial family and the relationship he had known with his father. It will be available for purchase beginning today from major online retailers such as amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.
This novel is a work of fiction and has been many years in the making. The characters are composites of people I have known, and the novel reflects many experiences in my own life as a child brought up in Kenya, and who has studied and lived in America and China. I first started this novel as an autobiography but as I became more involved in the extraordinary events over the past few years, life forced me into writing something much bigger than me. It became a story around four themes: domestic violence, the pursuit of one’s dreams, the spirit of service and the power of love. I did not prepare these themes beforehand. It was as though my whole life had prepared me for writing this book. I wanted to make people aware of how they can change the lives of others for the better, and overcome their own flaws, making their lives and those of people around them and who are influenced by them, a little better.
Nairobi to Shenzhen is not about my brother, although President Obama has helped inspire me to come to terms with my past. It is not even really about me. It is about sons and fathers who are of the same cloth, but have weaknesses that they do not see, until it is too late. My father beat me. He beat my mother. I shut these thoughts in the back of my mind for many years. I thought they were not important. But in the middle of a man’s life, it can be the death of someone close, the loss of a job (and I have been there), the loss of one’s mother at an early age, as happened to my father, even the movement of millions of people from an atmosphere of fear to one of hope, that can make that man see himself anew, and change his life for better or for worse. As I was writing this book I thought of the death of my brother David many years ago and the pain of seeing my mother in an unhappy relationship. I saw the millions of people who loved or supported my brother Barack and in the process, in some weird way, I came to terms with many things that I had shut out of my life, including the Obama name. It was in this atmosphere that I completed my novel, a project I have worked on and off for almost ten years.
Many people tried to convince me to first publish an autobiography, I considered it but in the end refused: for two reasons. Firstly I wanted to be known as a writer, not for my relationship to the President. Secondly, I felt Nairobi to Shenzhen could help us all better understand the mothers, children and particularly fathers that have lost their way through drink and violence. My next step is to publish an autobiography. It has just been completed and will be available in the next several months. It will answer a lot of the questions that Nairobi to Shenzhen raises.
I also wanted to express a story not just about the American dream, but the dream of everyone everywhere, to have the strength in hard times to pick oneself up and start again. Before I left for China I lost my job, did not know where my life was going, but decided that I would make my life one of music and service.
My life, I finally realize, is about self expression, whether through music, writing or calligraphy. I decided that I wanted to find a way that I could use, even in my small way, these talents to help others. As you know 15% of the proceeds of this book will go to help disadvantaged children in China and the world. There are over 17 million orphans in China and many more elsewhere in the world. One does not have to have a university degree or make a lot of money to help others in need. For seven years I have done so in my own way. In my own way I have tried to make a difference. A few days ago, a former orphan student called me at home and told me: “Mark, I am now at a local kindergarten helping other children learn to play piano for free. Some of the children do not want to play so I give them some sweets. Now they love music.’ In China there is a saying.
上善若水 (Shang Shan Ruo Shui)
Good deeds are like water falling on flat ground, it spreads. Even if I were to sell one or two books, each helping a father to spend more time with his children, or spend five minutes actually doing something to help some kids or others in need, I will truly be satisfied.
I have avoided the media for a long time now but I have decided to give a limited number of interviews because I want to tell my story, not have others tell it for me.
I also want to make a little difference in peoples lives by raising their awareness of domestic violence, the power of service and the freedom to walk one’s own path.
Thank you. I will now answer a few questions, provided these questions are limited to the book.
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Comments
Good deeds are like water
Good deeds are like water falling on flat ground, it spreads.Everyday I dream of making such deeds into true,no matter how small powder I have,thanks for your understanding for life.sally
Good deeds are like water
Good deeds are like water falling on flat ground, it spreads.
Be a Giver, Not a Taker. You will get more after you give more.
Hi,everyone here,as a
Hi,everyone here,as a representitive of smart language training center,I just want to make an announcement to you,there is the one named is David who said we didn't pay him as a teacher,abou this matter we don't want to explain more,but everyone should be known why we didn't pay him if he is a man always keep promise accroding to our ageement,we are accreited company by chinese government we don't fear your threat and your scandal,we are not mean for just 300 yuan but we are mean for someone with mental problem or never keep promise.so you people just use your own judge to analyse in fact what happened ~~~thank you so much to take time to read this comment.I am still want to know more good friends here, I am still want to know if it has a big difference between western and eastern culture and thinking way in as a human-being what vitue in common we have hold and how to keep it going on wherever you are and whatever you are doing~~~
what happened？…
what happened？…