#FridayFresh: From Hadithi to that thirst quenching River Café Sangria

When Sandra Chege asked me to write a letter to my younger self, I was happy to oblige. Since then, the letters have just kept on coming and the response has been really positive. ‘Hadithi -Letters to Self’ is a collection of letters written by people from all walks of life reexamining, retelling and sharing stories about their lives. Carefully curated by Sandra and illustrated by Musa Omusi, the stories touch on love, relationships, self esteem, growth, image, grief, pain among other things. They embrace the reassurance the writers needed at one point in their lives, a kind of going back in time and giving your younger self a hug and saying ” You know what? We gon’ be alright”. Here’s the piece I did for  Hadithi:

No Type

If you want to submit a letter visit: hadithi.co.ke

River Café’s Sangria

Actually the whole of Karura Forest  deserves  it’s own post. It’s a writers paradise, cyclist’s dream, walkers haven,runner’s life…girl, get your life!  My birthday present to myself was a bike ride in Karura with bestie Jules, topped up with some refreshing sangria from River Café. Since it is the only restaurant in the park, you may want to get a reservation early if you plan on visiting on a Saturday. Meanwhile, enjoy the view…

Weekend Reads: Igoni Barrett’s Black Ass

Black Ass is a strange book. The title alone will grab you and have you questioning… what is a black ass anyway? Round, high, jiggly or firm but never flat…  capable of movement that has now become known as twerking…is that a good definition?  The book is as  fast paced as Lagos, the city it’s set in. The characters are more relatable than likable but in the heart of it is something most urban africans can relate to. That chameleon like character of an African city. There are so many ways to look at this book and then there is the black ass… you have to read it.

Music for your weekend: Féfé feat. Ayo

I love Ayo a good one. In terms of style and talent, I’d place her in the same category as Asa and Nneka, soulful singers, proudly Nigerian but with an international appeal. She features on this track with Nigerian francophone rapper/singer Féfé.

Wait..Nigerian and French? Yes. Féfe´, the son of Yoruba parents, was born and raised in Paris. Ayo born to Nigerian and Romani-European parents was raised in Germany and the song celebrates their love for their homeland regardless of distance. The visuals are heartwarming and the beat is so infectious, may it sprinkle your weekend with ‘Ayo’ which means Joy.

 

Happy Friday 🙂