Pulser December Issue

DECEMber 2019

LIVE IT UP! NOT FOR SALE

BEST DRESSED 2019 Amina, Lucia, Neomi, Nancy, Tracy...

www.pulser.co.ke

+

Africa’s finest

Sho Madjozi Burna Boy Khaligraph Jones Diamond and more

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019 FASHION • beauty • RIDes • food • ADVENTURE • SPORTS • REVIEWS 1

july 2019 L IV E IT UP!

y p p ties a htivi s e f Harmonize

Tanzanian star coming of age

my closet

Seyi Shay’s secrets

Travel Tips

All about D ubai city www.pulser.c o.ke

+

www.pulser.co.ke FAS

2

2

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

HION • bea uty

Queen is k e

Music, radio an fashionistas d TV , vlogge socialites t

Adelle On Sharon Kate Ng N Waboshaot M

• RIDes • fo oD • aDVeN tuRe • sPo Rts

• ReVIeW

ey

celebs, ers and tell all.

nyango g’ang’a ti Flow Maxine

Ws

nOT FOR sALe

Real Friends and Busy Signal and Richie Loops on Party Like It’s Your Birthday. These hits helped to propel D-Major to mainstream success in Jamaica and on the international music scene. The Standard Group PLC owned radio station Vybez Radio, has partnered with the most experienced and trusted event organizer Ngoma Tucheze and Beach Festival, who together boast over 20 years’ experience in organising reggae shows around the world.

Advance tickets go for Sh1,500 while VIP go for Sh5,000.

EVENTS Pulse Music Video Awards (PMVA) Date: December 5 Venue: Standard Group Limited Centre

Koroga Festival, 28th Edition

Time: 6pm till late

Date: December 1 to December 2

The fifth annual Pulse Music Video Awards (PMVA) award gala cer-emony takes place at the home of talent, Standard Group Centre, Nai-robi (Mombasa Road) on December 5. It will be a red-carpet glitz and glamour affair with the who-is-who in the showbiz and corporate arena in attendance. Dubbed the New Wave edition, the ceremony will be celebrating the gains made in the Kenyan music over the years and as individuals and groups which have made remarkable contribution in the Kenyan music scene over the past one year being recognised. It will be a night like no other that will see the crème de la crème in the music industry perform under the state-of-the art big dome, activities that will be aired live on KTN. The dress code is glam. The winners party will be held at Kiza Lounge where top artistes will also perform.

The PMVA has been the biggest awards ceremony in the region for the past four years and has played a leading role in uniting and boosting the showbiz scene. The event has been powered by the Pulse Magazine.

Venue: Bomas of Kenya – The Pavilion

The Big Deal Concert Date: December 7 Venue: Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) Time: 2pm till late The biggest reggae concert in the land this year goes down at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on December 7, a mega show that will feature some of the popular Jamaican reggae stars in the land.

Hosted by the newly launched 24-7 audio visual reggae radio station, Vybez Radio, the concert will also feature a pool of reggae deejays and music stars. Chris Martin will be performing with his full band alongside Kenyan acts and DJs. And also accompanying Chris Martin will be another Jamaican star, D Major, whose popular songs among them Speak the Truth and Can’t Get Enough have been topping the chart. D-Major has collaborated with Christopher Martin and Agent Sasco on

4

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Time: 2pm onwards Legendary music acts Kanda Bongo Man and Mbilia Bel will be ar-riving Kenya this month for the much-anticipated World Groove Edi-tion of the Koroga Festival, an event that will be held at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi. The first day of the event will feature Rico Gang, Bondocks Gang and Nviiri the Storyteller while the second will feature Mbilia Bel, Kanda Bongo Man, Emma Jalamo and Steve Kay. The organisers have promised Koroga Festival fans that this edition will be a great experience.

Jameson Connects Kenya Concert COURTESY

Date: December 8 Venue: Uhuru Gardens Time: 12pm to 12pm American hip-hop artiste Clifford Harris aka T.I will be the main act during this year’s Jameson Connects Kenya concert. To be held at the Uhuru Gardens, Lang’ata Road, Nairobi the hip-hop biased concert will also feature Kenya’s Khaligraph Jones, Bey T and Nvirii. The deejays of the day will be DJ Redbone, Jo Kisila and Hypnotic. Jameson Connects Kenya is an experience that brings together International and Kenyan musicians and deejays. It is a festival experience with the best food, games, fun, and lots of music – with Jameson at the heart of it all. Jameson Connects Kenya will give you the opportunity to drop your guard and open yourself up to new possibilities and new experiences, turning strangers into friends.

Thrift Social Neon and Leather Edition Date: December 8 Venue: Waterfront Karen Mall Time: 2pm to 11.59pm Fast rising Nigerian singer and rapper Divine Ikubor aka Rema will be jetting into the country this month for the much-awaited

EVENTS COURTESY

COURTESY

Thrift Social Neon and Leather Edition that goes down at the Waterfront Karen on December 8. Kenyan artistes Bensoul, Xenia, Hiribae and Taio will be among the array of other stars who will be thrilling fans during the concert that is expected to attract hundreds.

Rema rose to fame when his song Iron Man made it on Barack Obama’s 2019 summer playlist. The Marvin records signee also received a co-sign from Akon, acknowledging his unique style of music and stating that he will become a huge Afrobeat star. Thrift Social is an event that showcases creativity and the exploration of art, music, and fashion while giving inspiration for innovators in the creative industry. It will feature a fashion market where clothing vendors will showcase their merchandise.

Colour Festival 2019 Date: December 12 Venue: Two Rivers Mall Time: 12pm onwards Mash December holidays with the Ultimate Colour Experience at the Two Rivers Mall a fun event that promises to be memorable. It will be a Jamhuri Day family day out treat with lots of music performances, hype dance and an end of decade colour party like no other.

Serve Jah Reggae Concert Date: December 25 Venue: Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) Time: 6pm till late The Serve Jah Reggae Concert featuring Jamaican star Luciano will be taking place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Christmas Day. A gift to Kenyan

reggae lovers for the festivity season, this Pamoja Events organised affair is expected to be a major thriller. It will also feature The Reggae Powerhouse Band, DJ Kismir, DJ Kingman and Stephantom among others.

NYE Glow Festival Date: December 31 Venue: Uhuru Gardens Time: 6pm till late To mark the coming of the New Year, the Glow Festival will take place at Uhuru Gardens on December 31. This concert is about promoting companies dealing with the LED’s or glowing equipment that have not been noticed yet. It will focus on Kenyan artistes both from the yesteryears to the present Gengetone generation.

Papa Reno Beach Party Date: December 31 Venue: Papa Reno Beach, Watamu Time: 6pm till late Coming on the New Year’s Eve, the Papa Reno Beach party is set to rock the Kenyan Coast with headlines VJ Delph and a host of amazing deejays set to close the 2019 entertainment calendar on a high. It will mainly feature Electronic Dance Music (EDM) combined with acrobatic dancers who will entertain all night.

The event set up has be conceptualized and executed by Dent Group.

Noon Goes to the Beach Date: December 31 Venue: Moonshine Beach, Nyali Time: 6pm till late It is back, bigger and better. Once the biggest beach concert in the Coast during the New Year festivities, the Noon Goes to the Beach has made a comeback. With a number of artistes lined up to perform, the event will be taking place at the Moonshine Beach, in Nyali come New Year Eve.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

5

CON TEN TS

CELEBRITIES, MUSIC AND SHOWBIZ

4-5.

Events 12.

Turning Lisney 13.

High on Gin 14. Sharon: sweet and simple 28-33. Burna Boy, Sho Madjozi, Tiwa

Savage, Khaligrah, Akothee 34-37. Amina, Lucia, Neomi, Tracy, Anita, Nancie 38-42. Being Blinky bill 50-51. A touch of Joy FOOD, HEALTH and FITNESS 22.

23.

24-25.

26.

27.

mango coconut popsicle Melt in your mouth Delicious December Xmas means chapo Cheese Cheers and Wine

FASHION and BEAUTY 8.

9.

15.

52.

53.

54.

55.

Loose change Style style Beauty tips The glow Beauty tips Fashion

RIDES, TOYS AND ADVENTURE 16-17. Enter the Audi race 18-19. Cars with Big Boy Trev 20-21. Road Trip Hacks LIFE, TECH AND REVIEWS 11.

Horoscopes 58-59 Books amd movies 60-61. Boots and balls 62-63. Gaming

6

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COVER PHOTO: Sho Madjozi Ownership: Sho Madjozi Used: Courtesy

THE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER orlando lyomu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OCHIENG RAPURO Managing Editor, Daily Dennis Galava MANAGING EDITOR – WEEKEND/MAGAZINES JOHN BUNDOTICH EDITOR STEVENS MUENDO REVISE EDITOR ROSE KWAMBOKA SUB EDITOR WAIRIMU NYINGI

FROM THE DESK

Seraphim, Cherubim and…Santa

V

MANAGER, PRINT CREATIVE DAN WELOBA CREATIVE DESIGNER JOSECK MUTORO PHOTOGRAPHY HEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY JACOB OTIENO PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR MAXWELL AGWANDA DIGITAL NJAMBI MUNGAI WAIRIMU NYINGI CONTRIBUTORS TONY MOCHAMA PERIS WAMBUGU PAUL OWERE AHADI WAMBUI BARBARA NYAMBURA milton were BONIFACE MITHIKA MARGARET NGENYA TRACY GESARE WINNIE MAKENA PHOTOGRAPHERS ELVIS OGINA

Follow us @PulserKenya

facebook/PulserKenya

MARKETING SETH ENOS EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Switch Board Tel: 3222111/0719012111 Ext 2243 +254 721 607 555 Email: Editor@Pulsermagazine. com COMMERCIAL ENQUIRIES Francis Wambua +254721804302 Rodricks Oidi +254 720745498 Mercy Mithamo +254735175809 DISTRIBUTION Duncan Murei - +254 719012111 Pulser magazine is published by The Standard Group PLC

Follow us @PulserKenya

Subscribe @PulserKenya

www.pulser.co.ke

room, vroom, vroom! The sound of a motorbike came revving up. There was ululation and animated cheers.

Then, the spectacular fireworks lit the Nairobi-blue sky as the glamourous looking guest, a reserve of the crème de la crème in the showbiz and corporate sector joined in the champagne toast. Jubilantly so.

Vividly, I recall it all like it was last night!

The ecstasy that came with the birth of Pulser Magazine on that chilly April 25 night at the magnificent uptown Junction Mall, was one, one could equate to the breaking of a new dawn. Indeed, it was. Pulser was an innovation created for a generation that had been seeking readership identity. Cool youthful urbanites seeking an entertainment and lifestyle guide. It arrived packaged with answers on where we would get affordable getaway joints and where we would travel across the world. It brought in reviews on the coolest rides and eat-out places, beauty and health tips and all things fitness. It traversed the continent sampling all the juicy stories on the entertainment scene; celebrity profiles, showbiz analysis, reviews…all things good.

Who had ever served such an entertainment and lifestyle buffet in one platter before?

Year 2019 is one that has seen Pulser stir up showbiz and lifestyle heavens and since May when the first issue got to the masses – all for free – Seraphim and Cherubim, angels and demons, thunderstorm and calm, sweet and sour have taken interludes on this throne in equal measure. To God be the glory! And praises to all the Pulsers who have picked, believed and walked with us eight-month journey and counting. Light your candles and let’s do the toast. See, Santa is on the way!

In such a short span, Pulser changed the showbiz atmosphere across the region both through its free lustrous hardcopy and engaging online presence on our multiple platforms.

The savvy Pulser writers have all through given

it their best shot, telling stories and making practical reviews like no other publication ever did before. The reception from our content providers and you, our beloved consumer has been overwhelming. The thirst has been real and the challenge is on! We can only get better.

Besides, the entertainment industry across the continent has witnessed tremendous growth this year and we give accolades to all who kept the African star shinning all the way to the MTV Awards, Oscars and Grammys.

We salute all those who brought a new wave in the Kenyan music industry and those who engineered the rebirth of the glam industry as well as those who told it all. What a roller-coaster. Who would have predicted.

This edition is all about happiness and celebration as we look back and appreciate all the good tidings. And yes, the festivities are here and here comes Santa.

Seraphim…Cherubim…To God be the glory.

It’s a wrap!

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

7

loose change - peris wambugu

Black beret - Sh500 (Gikomba)

Black stud earrings - Sh500 Plain black choker - Sh100 (Dubois Street)

Black beret Sh500 (Gikomba)

Year-end office party collection

Red ruffle mesh bodysuit - Sh1,000 (Market Stall on Muindi Mbingu Street)

Asymmetrical black frill pants - Sh3,000

8

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

Envelope clutch bag - Sh2,000

Clear toe platform high heels - Sh2,500

I

t’s easy to pull off a kimono as it can be styled in so many different ways.

Kimono dress This is the original way to wear a kimono. If you’re into maxi dresses, this is a style you should definitely try. Since kimonos are generally lightweight, it flows effortlessly and complements your body. Not to mention, wearing a kimono dress adds a touch of sophistication.

Kimono with jeans You can never go wrong with a kimono and jeans. This is one of the most popular ways to pull off a kimono. You can rock it with mom jeans or fitted jeans and sneakers for a casual look.

However, for a dressy look, go for a chic pair of strappy heels.

It’s hard to find great outfits for the cold weather. As mentioned, kimonos are great with any weather. They are not only chic, but also practical. You can pull off a kimono look during cold days by pairing it with thigh high boots. You’ll beat the cold weather while keeping it cute.

Kimono with a swimsuit Gone are the days when you’d cover up at the pool or beach using a towel. If you’re headed to the beach this holiday, don’t forget to pack a kimono or two. This is a great cover up while you’re lounging by the pool or beach.

Kimono with a mini dress The contrasting lengths creates an interesting effect giving you a stylish look. This look works better with a fitting dress. You can wear with a pair of sandals while on vacation.

COURTESY

Kimono with thigh high boots

Kimono on!

DEAL

Come-on!

I This is no longer a Japanese magic look. It is an international trend that is illuminating the season all the way

style style

- pulsEr writer

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

9

trends

10

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

seeing part of the construction doused with perforations. A translucent outsole embellished with black and red hits finishes off the over-all look of the shoe. A side cargo pocket is displayed on the collar, giving this sneaker a design modification that makes it the first of its kind. A sail midsole, glow-in-the-dark translucent outsole.

After the release of the highly anticipated sneaker there is already talk about another “Cactus Jack” Air Jordan 6 in the works for 2020, this time featuring a mustard yellow color scheme. It was originally believed that the yellow version was designed exclusively for family & friends, although rumors suggest they’ll be available to the public in very limited quantities.

The pair that was released in October retails at $250 USD equivalent to

Sh. 25,627.50

COURTESY

F

ollowing the buzz of collaboration between Travis Scott and the Jordan brand they have once again teamed up for the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 6 “Cactus Jack”. This is the fourth Air Jordan silhouette that Cactus Jack has touched. The sneaker made its mainstream debut when Travis rocked them on stage during his Super Bowl LIII performance.

Now adding a personal flair to the Air Jordan VI model Travis returns for his third collaboration with Air Jordan. His collaborations have been some of the most popular releases from the Jordan brand ever since the first release of the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 High Top sneakers. The rapper-turned-fashion designer continues the trend of re-imaging the classic silhouette, bringing new elements to the Jordan VI that are different from any other style ever created.

The pair comes equipped with a button enclosed stash pocket on the ankle collar, along with “University Red” accents throughout, including the “Nike Air” and Cactus Jack branding on the heels. The upper is crafted from “Olive” suede panels,

Jack

Cactus

— Boniface Mithika

Horoscopes - the pulsEr astrologer

T

o close the year, The Astrologer once more used the same deck of tarot cards that he did in August but with major reshuffling for new readings of the Zodiac signs. Next year, we’ll diversify – even into buying crystal balls and Chinese tea leaves – for predictions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 – Dec 21) You will make a terrific impression on people this month, Sagittarius, because you literally have stars shining in your eyes. The only problem is that you may want not to over-celebrate in December and go overboard with spending and expenses – leaving you in a financial hole at the start of Njaanuary.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 20) Venus has shifted from your constellation, and the cards show a strong Jupiter and Pluto alignment. This simply means your big dreams (Jupiter) that once seemed as far away as Pluto can now be realised. However, be prepared to put in a lot of groundwork, starting this December, until the end of next year.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 – Feb 19) December’s deck of cards shows your emotions are well grounded, darling Water Sign. Use this month to make a move on someone you want or desire with full confidence; because romance is written into your stars, and adventure is in the air.

PISCES (Feb 20 – March 20) Try and take it easy this month, Fish, and look back on the year to see what you’ve

Santa s a wish achieved, as you plan for bigger things next year. But don’t just daydream and be lazy; map out your 2020 resolutions.

ARIES (March 21 – April 20) Venus shines on your constellation, and this month, you will be filled with the peace of Christmas. You’ll feel close to loved ones, and they will reciprocate with affection and tenderness. Break out the champagne, and the Christmas carols, already, Merry Aries.

TAURUS (April 21 – May 20) Your bull-headed approach to life will not work this month, Taurus, and if you try to shove stuff down others’ throats in December, expect massive pushback. The stars say you should instead bury your head in paperwork, and let the storms of December blow over your horns.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21) Contrary to Taurus, the cards have a great hand in store for Gemini, and your ideas will be accepted like a gem by others. Let go of your doubts this month, Gemini, and go for the stars. They’re yours if you ask.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22) Daily routine in December will be the best if Cancer is to maximise on their career year enders. And only steady effort will bear fruit in

confronting any domestic challenges. This isn’t the month for you to be reckless, or surrender to flights of fancy. That can wait till January, says the pack of cards.

LEO (July 23 – August 22) You will be a fired up trendsetter in December, Leo. Your every decision this month will be the right call.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 23) The general pace of your card hand is slow, which means your December will most likely be deathly dull. Even if you are not going anywhere, even for financial reasons, this is a good month to re-energise life; get into new activities, or meet different kinds of folk, in 2020.

LIBRA (September 24 – October 23) December will be a totally holiday month for ye, lucky Libra, with part’e after part’e after part’e. You may want seduction, and shiny toys, from whoever you have your claws in as your Santa Clause. The warning clause being I) Beware of the danger of strangers who stray onto your path.

SCORPIO (Oct 23rd – Nov 21) Dreaming of a life of leisure and luxury can be fun, and with mercurial Mercury in your Zodiac, you will spend the month of December in a reverie, thinking of how things could be if you were rich and famous. No worries!

You will wake up in January, 2020, and realise that ni kweli, kwa ground things are different.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

11

hot in town

Tuning Lisney

— Ahadi Wambui

A

COURTESY

: @dj_lisney

12

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

s you think of a holiday spot to party at, you will probably have to check out this gorgeous girl’s holiday timetable. Linda Felix aka Dj Lisney has droves of parties she will be entertaining her mammoth fanbase and yes, Truly Yours has certified her as real legit.

Lisney has been in the showbiz scene in the last four years and since her entry, she has ruffled the status quo in the deejaying industry thanks to her versatile approach to the business. A music lover, her passion for deejaying developed back when she was a student at the University of Nairobi, where she was a finance major.

Besides taking commercial and club deejaying gigs, the go-happy entertainer who also features on the Thursday Night Live on KTN alongside Dr. Ofweneke is a director of her own outfit, Elite Sounds, an events company. She is also a business woman.

“This holiday season is really busy. I have gigs everywhere and that means most of the time I will be travelling. I suspect I will be taking my holiday in January,” she tells Pulser.

But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so they say.

“I will find time to be with family. I also love adventure and my favourite destination is Zanzibar, so you might actually catch me there. For my holiday diet, I am always experiencing new cuisine because of the travel nature of my job,” she excites.

“My best holiday memory is a roller-coaster I experienced at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi. That was breathtaking. But life is never without drama. I recall one holiday when I fought with boyfriend in Dubai and I had to involve the police. He was detained and later on I had to rescue him,” she charms.

hot in town

W

Q: What is in your beach bag?

A: Sunscreen, lip-gloss, a book, an extra pair of sunglasses and my phone.

Q: What do you consider when shopping for a bikini?

A: Well, I always say the tinier the piece, the better. With a good covering thrown on top, we are good to dip.

DEAL

Q: What is your favourite holiday destination?

A: That has to be Cyprus. Besides that, I love visiting the Kenyan Coast because of its beautiful beaches. I think it’s one of the most beautiful tour spots on earth.

Q: What is your go-to holiday look?

A: The rule is that it should be comfortable, fun and unpredictable.

Q: What does the holiday season mean to you?

A: It is all about the joy of family reunions, friends’ get-togethers and celebration of the many things God has helped us achieve throughout the year. It is the joy of Jesus born unto us. For an artiste, it is coupled with lots of work, entertaining people and travelling for gigs even as you keep family ties close.

Q: Do you celebrate a lot?

A: The mood all over is celebration.

It’s infections. However, I always make sure I don’t over indulge.

Q: Do you keep a particular holiday diet?

A: Food is one of the greatest experiences when holidays come calling. It is natural to try different cuisines depending on where you

High on Gin

COURTESY

— margaret ngenya

hat an amazing year this has been for the outgoing Pulse Music Video Awards (PMVA) Female Artiste of the Year (2018-2019), Gin Ideal.

“One thing that made me happy this year is that my fanbase grew a lot. This meant that as a musician I have experienced good growth,” says the Taurus Musik signee.

So what are holiday plans for the Balance It hit maker?

are and when it comes to the Coast, nothing tops seafood.

Q: Tell us your favourite Christmas memory…

A: It’s crazy how mum used to dress my sister and I in twinning outfits on Christmas Day. Besides that, the sound of O Holy Night was always the icing of the cake. I love that song.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

13

hot in town — margaret ngenya

Sharon’s sweet simples

COURTESY

She enjoys Christmas with family and if Santa was to ask her to make a wish, it would be getting Victoria Beckham’s closet and flying her to Maldives. Besides, simple things are making Sharon’s joy season

14

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Q: What are your happiest moments of 2019?

A: Met a guy, fell madly in love, unfortunately, the universe separated us geographically, but the memories shall be carried forever and who knows...

I also finally completed my undergraduate degree in Economics and Statistics, found fulfilling work with some amazing people whom I get to call not just colleagues but friends. This year, I fought my fear and tried out so many new things. The list is long. I could go on and on.

Q: What is on your bucket list still for 2020?

A: Many are the plans of man but God… Q: Who is your best friend and what do they mean to you?

A: God. He’s had my back since day one. I don’t know what I’d do without Him. Q: What makes you happy?

A: Love. Love.

Q: What’s your favourite item in your closet?

A: Currently, my mini denim skirts (laughs).

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: A mix of Victoria Beckham, Adrienne Bailon and whatever mood I’m in that day.

Q: What is the best style advice you’ve ever gotten?

A: Wear your head high up, shoulders back and strut it like you mean it.

Q: A fashion quote you live by?

A: Less is more.

Q: What are the three items you always have in your bag?

A: Aloe Vera lip balm, mascara and my Nouba Millebaci No. 7.

Q: What item in your closet do you wear the most?

A: A black strappy jumpsuit. Easy to wear and build up on.

Q: If you could raid one person’s closet, who would it be?

A: Victoria Beckham.

Q: What’s in your beach bag?

A: Sun screen and a killer pair of sunglasses (I have a collection because I’m obsessed.

I wear glasses even when it’s cold (laughs).

Q: Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

A: Visiting my rural homes in Nakuru or Kajiado when I was younger with all my family.

Q: What is your favourite Christmas delicacy?

A: Right now I’m craving ‘mukimo’ with a nice pea stew. But ‘nyama choma’ is a must in our household.

Q: What is your favourite Christmas carols?

A: We wish you a Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad and Last Christmas by Wham… because I love the band.

Q: What is your favourite holiday getaway destination?

A: My bed? I kid! Wherever my family is at.

Q: What is your go-to holiday look?

A: Something comfortable like shorts, T-shirt or nice blouse with killer sunglasses and sneakers.

Q: What is your favourite places to visit?

A: I love outdoor activities so definitely around greenery like I’m planning to visit Champagne Ridge in Kajiado or the Mara again. Maldives is also on my bucket list.

style —pulser writer

Gift him a forever

COURTESY

1. Cus be tomized sha ve a 2. Offi rd wash and or a c c onditio e d iary 3. Sin ner gle cup 4. A c c o ff e e h 5. E-R arging statio maker n eader 6. A w eekend 7. Le er bag at org her and can vas ele a ctronic 8. Ph niser case one ho

lder fo 9. Be rt e 10. Mo r can orname he car b nt 11. Po ile Wifi cket B lu 12. A le etooth a speake 13. An ther belt r everyd 14. Po ay wat lo c 15. VR Player Hat h Heads et 16. Co o 17. Fie l sunglasses ld 18. La Backpack ptop 19. Wir e 20. Sn less headph eakers ones

W

omen say that men are so hard to please.

And yes, men can be complicated especially when it comes to getting a gift list for things you can gift them like during this season.

The best thing is to understand his age, level of maturity, preferences and sometimes his kind of mood and this will guide the kind of gift you can get for him. He doesn’t have to be a husband. He can be a boyfriend. He can be your brother or even dad. The truth is that there is always something to offer every kind of a guy.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

15

MOTOR MOTO — boniface mithika

Enter the

Race T

he Audi AI: Race is a high-performance sports car with electric drive: the first of its kind from Audi.

It presents a radical vision for the high-performance sports car of tomorrow.

Broad and flat, visibly inspired by the wind tunnel and the race track, its very presence signals that it is destined to push boundaries.

500

For race track and road In the Audi AI: Race, the driver is the one steering and stepping on the gas or brake pedal.

There are therefore no complex systems for piloted driving on board but instead this supercar has a driver’s seat and cockpit that are integrated into a shell that can be slid laterally.

When driven solo, it can be positioned in the center of the interior– the perfect location for the racetrack. While it can still side to the sides when on road.

Km

16

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Inspiration drawn from motorsport The Audi AI: Race package follows the traditional architecture of a mid-engine sports car with a cab that is positioned far forward.

The car’s center of gravity is located behind the seats and in front of the rear axle – which benefits the driving dynamics. This does not involve the engine-transmission unit, as in a car with a conventional drive system, but rather the battery pack.

Viewed from the side, the eye is drawn to the gently sloping roof line which is pulled far to the back and features massive C-pillars.

Together with the large and almost vertical rear window, this design is reminiscent of a shooting brake concept. The cabin, placed on the broad shoulders of the wheel arches, appears almost dainty from the rear. The rear diffuser air outlet has been raised high and can be moved downward to increase downforce. The rear

spoiler can also be extended rearward for the same purpose.

Three electric motors and Quattro drive The concept uses three powerful electric motors – one up front and two in the rear. The latter are centrally located between the steering knuckles, each directly driving one wheel via half-shafts. While being driven, the Audi AI: Race recovers large amounts of energy: up to moderate braking, the electric motors are solely responsible for decelerating the vehicle. The hydraulic brakes only come into play for heavy braking.

The liquid-cooled solid-state battery has an energy capacity of 95 kWh. A full charge provides for a range of over 500 kilometers. The battery is already designed for charging with a voltage of 800 volts. This means the battery can be fully recharged in about 15 minutes.

The Audi AI: Race can also be charged cordlessly via induction with Audi Wireless Charging (AWC). This is done by placing a charging pad with integral coil on the floor where the car is to be parked, and connecting it to the power supply.

COURTESY

DEAL

Minutes

Charging time with a voltage of 800 Volt.

470

15

The suspension The front and rear have independent suspension on lower and upper transverse control arms, and, as commonly found in motor racing, a push-rod system on the front axle and pull-rod system on the rear – in both cases with adaptive magnetic ride shock absorbers. The suspension of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans racing car served as the model for the basic architecture.

The wheels measure 22 inches in diameter and are fitted with 275/35 tires in the front and 315/30 in the back. Large carbon brake discs with a 19-inch diameter, in conjunction with the electric brake, safely and steadily decelerate the Audi AI:RACE even in tough racetrack conditions.

liters

Cargo space

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

17

motormoto - philip ngotho

Cars with Big Boy Trev T

COURTESY

hey say ‘chance favours the prepared mind’, and indeed the media space in relation to the Kenyan motoring Industry has come of age , with the unveiling of ‘Cars with Big Boy Trev version 2.0’, a television based motoring programme that has found a new home on KTN Home. The show is now airing at 6.30pm on the channel.

Cars with Big Boy Trev (CBBT) is the first full-length quality free-to-air TV motor-show ever produced locally in East Africa. It is produced by Cullinan Media and Public Relations Limited, in a 24 minute automotive magazine format, split into six main segments. It educates, entertains and informs the audience on aspects such as new car previews, used car reviews, maintenance,

18

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

road safety and technology.

Lead by Trevor Lamenya, who has over 10 years’ experience, the show is produced by a team of journalists who include seasoned writers, producers and video editors, who ensure that Cars with Big Boy Trev is a world-class product.

The show contains a relevant mix of automotive information and seek to grow the public knowledge on mobility in Africa.

Show Segments Used car reviews: Test and comprehensively analyse grey import vehicles trending in the country.

New car reviews: Preview all the latest new cars coming into the market exclusively to the audience.

Road safety feature: Inform and advise audience on all road safety aspects forexample defensive driving techniques, how to drive in different road surfaces like sand, rain and basic off-road

driving Technology and technical feature: Showcase technological trends exhibited by manufacturers, particularly those that enhance mobility e.g. Wireless connectivity using as info-tainment units, Safety systems like autonomous braking or driving systems.

Car care and maintenance: This segment deals with all aspects of car care including different levels of servicing, tire care, suspension set up, paint work and more.

Adventure features: Discover different parts of our country and continent with cars that are able to concur the tough African terrain while using technologies like GPS and mapping to explore our beautiful continent. “‘Cars with Big Boy Trev’ chose the Standard Group its strategic media partner due to the fact that

they offer a 360 media approach in as far as promoting local content, based on real time analytics accrued from its audiences across all its platforms,” says Trev.

“The show aims to provide a platform to not only car enthusiasts but also industry stakeholders including government, dealers, associated partners such as asset financing institutions, insurers, accessories venders, oil and lubes industries and many more partners,” he notes.

The show aims to provide a platform to not only car enthusiasts but also industry stakeholders.

“We promise to deliver an informative yet entertaining show in a palatable format, so that anyone watching the programme can easily understand the content offered in a ‘buffet’ format, that is, ‘there’s something for everyone’ concept.

Some of the highlights of this new season include touring the ‘Mecca of motoring’ at the Mercedes Benz museum in Stuttgart Germany, the Exclusive Ranger Raptor launch held in Upington South Africa, Jaguar Land Rover factory tour at castle Bromwich, in the UK plus many more adventure specials, culminating to the toughest puck up challenge, where we will drive from Kenya to the southernmost tip of the continent.

“The Kenyan motor industry is growing rapidly and we intend be a platform where industry players can actively use the platform to shape up spur growth of the automotive space in Kenya,” concludes Trev.

motormoto

R

oad trips can be real fun and adventurous. They can also be frustrating and enduring if you hit a snag. That ‘s why it’s important to ensure all is on check before you embark on a long road trip.

1

Ensure you have the right documents: Before you even think of your car, it is good to think of the necessary documents as you plan your trip. Just as you ensure you have your passport ready for the flight, review your car license and insurance and confirm the expiry date for each. Most insurances expire at the end of the year when you are probably driving back to the city from a long holiday trip and you can imagine the frustration when cops come into the mix. You can renew your license stickers and be road compliant even if it means renewing your licenses before the others expire.

DECEMBER2019 2019pulser pulsermagazine magazine 20 december

COURTESY

Road Trip Hacks

- PULSER WRITER

motormoto Test your lights: From the front to the back of the car, ensure all the lights; the headlights, blinkers, brake lights, hazard lights and reverse lights are in good working order. Testing lights will also ensure that you don’t compromise your safety due to poor road vision. A spare headlight bulb might be useful just in case.

2

Test your brakes: Have a sharp ear when it comes to testing your breaks as they could be the difference between life and death. Try to spot any unusual sounds such as squeaking or scraping. As you test the pedals, find out if they go all the way to the floor and if they emanate a burning smell, which could be a sign of danger. This will give you a chance to know if you need to replace the brake pads.

3

4

Check windscreen wipers: For good visibility, your windscreen wipers must be working properly.

Ensure your wipers do not leave behind ugly streak marks.

Among all car accessories, windshield wipers are the cheapest things to buy. You need to replace the rubber fillers and not the whole damn thing. As for washer jets, ensure they are not clogged and are in the right angle. By now we all agree that a messy windshield, side mirror or rear window can cost you an entire outing.

Mind your tires: Minding your tires is like minding your head while climbing stairs on a low upper roof. If not checked, this could shockingly bring you crumbling down. And it might come without warning. There is a standard limit of the tire thread wear so if one of your tires is worn beyond that limit, you need to replace it. It is not advisable to drive a car on a long road trip if it has uneven wear as besides fearing for a puncture, this

5

also makes the steer wheel a bit unbalanced while driving.

Also, ensure that all the tires have the recommended pressure as well as good alignment right from the start.

Good battery, good start: We won’t start the lecture on how you need to know if your battery is weak. That is a whole new ball game altogether. Your battery should be replaced at least after every three years in as much as some last up to seven. If you are not ready to buy a new battery for this trip, at least, have the old one tested to see if it can cover the journey. Also, physically, check the battery condition through its terminals; for acid leaks, cracks or any other likely damages.

conditioning and heating system is thought as an affair for the comfort of those inside the car.

However, it also helps remove humidity in case of rain or dull weather. Ensure your mechanic checks the A/C system and advices on this before takeoff.

Engine is king: The entire engine talk might just be mechanics jargon for starters, so let the mechanic check the engine’s condition. Your mechanic car maintenance check should not be overdue. But as for you, check the oil levels before you commence on the journey.

When did you last change the engine oil?

Use an engine oil dipstick to test. The basic facts are that oil that hasn’t been changed for long will look dirty or just dark. If this is the case, change it. Also, since driving with low coolant level causes heating, it is also good to check the engine coolant level in the overflow tank. The levels should usually be between the “Low” and “Full” marks. As for the transmission fluid, you might need to have this checked in the shop where you purchase your car oils as many cars have no transmission dipstick.

Your tool box and emergency kitty: Every Kenyan driver knows by now they should have a fire extinguisher in the car, right?

That is not all. You must also have a basic emergency kit for your car. It contains the jumper cables, a flashlight, pliers, tire pressure gauge, tire sealer-inflator cans and the likes. Don’t leave behind the spanners (God forbid) and your basic stuff such as water battles and a little ice cooler box…if you know what for!

6

7

Ensure the spare tire is on check: You can’t think of embarking on a long journey without a spare tire. The spare tire should be in good condition and ready for substitution if need be. Ensure the tire has the right level of pressure. Usually if it is the small temporary tires (you know those that look like doughnuts), get the pressure right; usually the correct pressure is indicated on the sidewall of the tire.

9

10

8

The air conditioning factor: Talking about cooling and heating, you must also mind the air conditioning system.

Most of the time, this air

pulser pulsermagazine magazineDECEMBER december 2019

21

FOOD

Mango Coconut

— fork n awesome

popsicle M

ango season is here and so is the heat. So, how about beating the heat with some healthy treats.

Ingredients 2 cups ripe mangoes (roughly diced) 1/2 cup coconut Sweetener to taste Method In a blender add all your ingredients and blend until smooth.

Pour the blend into the popsicle molds.

Freeze for about 20 minutes and gently insert popsicle sticks.

Freeze overnight or until solid.

If you don’t like mangoes (which is unlikely), feel free to use other fruits. Bananas work really well, they’re cheap and easy to get.

Use overripe mangoes as they’re sweet enough thus a sweetener won’t be necessary.

If you must add sweetener opt for natural ones such as dates, maple syrup or honey.

22

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

Notes

recipe ——fork forknn awesome awesome

Melt in your mouth Ingredients

Method:

150ml non-dairy milk 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV) 200g self-raising flour 110g brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 75ml neutral oil (I used sunflower) 2 tsp vanilla essence 1 tspn blueberry flavour 200g blueberries

I n a suitable bowl add the milk and ACV and

If you don’t have self-raising flour, use normal flour and add to it a tsp of baking powder.

You can substitute ACV for lemon juice in equal amounts.

The cake keeps well in the fridge for up to three days, but is best served fresh.

COURTESY

COURTESY

set aside to make buttermilk.

Preheat your oven to 175C In a separate large bowl combine the dry ingredients: Sift the flour. Add sugar and baking powder to it.

To your dry ingredients add the buttermilk, oil essence and flavour. Mix till combined. Don’t overmix as your cake will become dense.

Finally fold in the blueberries and bake for 35 min.

Let it cool down completely and sprinkle icing sugar on top to garnish.

Enjoy!

te No

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

23 19

mixology

Delicious

- philip — FORK Nngotho AWESOME

December

Whether you enjoy your festive drinks fruity or topped with cream, hot or cold, bourbon or vodka, we’ve got it all crafted for you; simple, satisfying…delicious

T

he signature rule in the mixology world is balance. The cocktail, no matter how hard you try to sell its fascinating flavours becomes irrelevant if the ingredients are not mixed in the right proportions.

There are four main flavours that guide this; acidity, bitterness, sweetness and booze. Besides, the importance of measuring cocktail ingredients cannot be stressed enough as this is the only key to balance flavours and create thrilling sips. An over or under pour of a single ingredient can throw off the

delicate balance of a drink, so always adhere to the set mixing measures.

At the same time, you should know which mixing method to use when fixing a given cocktail. For some, you are required to shake, others build while others you need to blend. When you are shaking a cocktail, you need to pay attention to how frosty the outside of the shaker gets, so you know when it is ready to strain.

The other golden rule when it comes to making cocktails is that you should use fresh ingredients as opposed to bottled mixers. Besides, you should match drink and glass temperature; for example, when you are serving cold drinks, chilling the glass before pouring will keep the glass colder longer and the drink is good from the start to finish.

That said, what about we sample some recipes that we do recommend for you this Christmas season: The White Christmas Martini This is one of the most preferred and easy to fix holiday cocktails. It comprises vanilla vodka, white chocolate liqueur, Crème de cacao and a coarse or gold sugar garnish makes it sparkle. Why sparkle? Because the fun bit of making this cocktail is ensuring it looks pretty.

24

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

For more fun, you can add a white chocolate snowflake.

You need two pints vanilla vodka, two pints white chocolate liqueur, one pint white crème de cacao, half and half, as well as honey and course sanding sugar.

Coat rim of glass with honey then dip in sugar. In cocktail shaker filled with ice, add vodka, crème de cacao, white chocolate liqueur and half and half. Shake vigorously and strain into the prepared martini glass.

This is prepared for five minutes and it serves one. The catch here is, don’t dream of a White Christmas, now you have one.

COURTESY

Very Merry Ornamentini This is one of the most recommended Christmas holidays cocktail thanks to its delicious charm and breathtaking presentation. The reason why it is referred to as ‘Ornamentini” is because it is served in a glass ornament and it is garnished with sugared cranberries (imagine that).

The ingredients include one cup vodka, half a cup Cointreau, half a cup cranberry juice, quarter cup orange juice, sugared cranberries and rosemary springs.

You pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into four three-inch clear glass ornaments that have been rinsed. Replace the topper on each ornament then add sugared cranberries and a rosemary sprig to four martini glasses. Set the ornament in the glass to serve. Before drinking, slowly pour the contents of the ornament onto the cranberries. It’s ready in five minutes and it serves four (Note: This recipe is courtesy of Inspired by Charm).

Non-alcoholic Raspberry Mojito The non-alcoholic raspberry mojito is fruity, heavily loaded with juicy raspberries, fresh mint, and a hint of lime. You need four fresh raspberries (plus more for garnish), six mint leaves, two tea-spoons simple syrup, ice, a quarter a cup raspberry juice, two teaspoons fresh lime juice, a half medium-large lime and a half cup club soda or sparkling mineral water.

To make a simple syrup, combine one cup of granulated sugar with one cup of water in a medium sauce pan then heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is completely dissolved then allow to cool.

Take a tall glass and mix the raspberries, mint leaves and the simple syrup then muddle well with a wooden spoon until the mint, simple syrup and raspberries are well-combined. Fill the glass with ice and add raspberry juice, then the lime juice before filling with your choice of soda. Serve with an innocent smile.

Sober Santa Christmas Punch Now we know who won’t be on Santa’s Naughty List! You’ll need 10 pints cranberry juice, 10 pints red grapefruit juice, one slice of grapefruit, salt margarita salt or regular fine salt and ice cubes. Pour salt onto a plate or other flat surface then rub the rim of the glass with a slice of grapefruit and then dip it in salt, turning to coat the rim. Add a few ice cubes as you mix cranberry juice and grapefruit juice then pour into the glass then serve.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

25 21

food —margaret ngenya

xmas means

I

e Christm cially moreso liday dish in K enya a during s time, nice s the it’s mbuzi tew or curry. chapati with ny W s talk po ama choma e of course lo ome , more pular in ve tha of East t Africa a he West. But n that turke y the ob unleav nd this se en q person ed flatbread uintessentia ssion al to l delicac y is a b There a us. it of chap re many st o a from th ti. Some peo ries behind th p e e 5,000 Egyptian Ind le say chapat origin years a i u c s ame V a lle g was fo unded o. Others are y civilisation o in over to f India East Africa be the opinion it fore it m The be . oved way fro lieve that c h m fact th East Africa apati travelled is at making production engineered b all the of whe y the of roun at need o f ferme d flatbreads w and the ntation from a ithout ,w lo a possib ng time ago. as evident h ny le beca This co e re us u stories sugges e of the trad ld also be e route t unlea staple . In ve fo people od among th ned flat brea fact, d e Swah of Afric ili spea was a a.

Yet s king got to till, a story is t Ke o British nya during th ld on how ch apati govern e colon m laboure ia rs to bu ent begun im l period. The Africa. porting ild railro M In East Af any of these ads througho dian laboure rica wh ut East ere the who so rs settle y ld Kenyan their wares became mer d in ch to s househ adopted wh locals. It was ants at has old dis becom then h. ea

chapo

26

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

DEAL

ast E s s o d ac r tmas n s i a r a y Ch In Ken when it is , y well e a r c e i v r f w A c ou kno for some ni y , time is time that it s f there is chapo and es a common h p o

wines —fork n awesome

Rules to giving a toast

How to pair wine and cheese Take a sip of the wine and then take a bit of the cheese. While some of the cheese is still in your mouth, take another sip of wine. If wine and cheese is your main fill, then it is advisable to do so on an empty stomach with some little bread and water on the side.

Which wine goes with what cheese?

There is always the question of which wine goes with which cheese, a hotly debated topic. However, simply put, one needs to pair wines and cheese with equal intensity. While bold red wine pairs best with aged cheeses, sparkling wines are incredible with soft, creamy cheeses.

It’s festivity season and there is so much toasting going on. But wait, does toasting come with its rules? Yes it does! It comes with its own rituals.

Whether you are at a Christmas dinner party, a wedding after-party or even one of those grand openings, how do you go about this rituals…

1

COURTESY

W

e have been whining about wine all year long, so as we wish 2019 away, how about we refresh our minds from the fact sheet on the things we have learned on wine and cheese.

In previous articles in this column, we did share the dos and don’ts one is supposed to observe when taking wine.

We tipped you on how to taste wine, how to hold the wine glass, how to pour and swirl…and, well why you should never over-do the sweet thing.

Now we do trust you haven’t stopped swirling the wine in your glass so as to expose it to a larger service area (recall that?). That should have been memorable!

But as we close the year with a wonderful toast, why don’t we look back at one of the biggest lesson this column presented to you; wine and cheese!

Why wine and cheese?

If you are looking for a bite to go with wine, then most of the time that has to be cheese. In fact, if you are looking for a drink to go with cheese, it’s usually wine.

This pairing is something you can nibble on when you have sampled the rest of the dinner menu.

Wine and cheese do excite the taste buds. It’s like a match made in heaven.

Cheese, cheers &wine Get into the same groove: Know why you are toasting and give your voice to the common experience.

You might just have one person stating the reason and not necessarily all of you.

Reveal personal, or even emotional moments that make everyone open to the shared moment.

2

3

Let the little speech be very short and memorable.

4

Avoid the cliché.

5

Never embarrass anyone

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

27

hot in africa

class 0f 2019

— PULSER WRITER

28

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Wizkid

E

COURTESY

ven if it wasn’t for anything else, we would still give it up to him for becoming the first Afrobeats star to appear in the 2018 Guinness World Records for his role in One Dance. But that is not it, Ayodeji Balogun aka Wizkid has been on top of his game all year long. The 26-year-old started the year by kicking a storm that got everyone believing he is having a romantic affair with his fellow Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage. The two have been on numerous international tours whose stage acts have left everyone believing that indeed they are an item.

From releasing Ghetto Love to his steamy Fever hit where he features Tiwa Savage as his video vixen, the Tease Me star held some of the biggest concerts both at home, across East Africa and abroad, shows that proved that he had come of age.

And talking of coming of age, Wizkid rose to prominence in 2010 with the release of the song Holla at Your Boy, one of the most popular song in his debut studio album Superstar. The album had other songs such as Tease Me (Bad Guys), Don’t Dull, Love My Baby, Pakurumo and Oluwa Lo Ni. Having won numerous awards, 2019 will go down as one when he received many nominations that got him winning the Song of the Year award for Fever during the Afrima Awards. And what’s more! Wizkid and South Africa’s Anatii both earned BET Soul Train Awards this year for their contributions to Beyoncé’s

Burna Boy

D

animi Ogulu aka Burna Boy is arguably the biggest artiste in Africa right now having had a very successful year both in making hot jams, performing across the world and also winning awards. The Nigerian singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in 2012 after releasing Like to Party, the lead single from his 2013 debut album L.I.F.E has had quite an epic 2019 that saw him win both the Best Male West African Male Artiste and the Song of the Year titles during the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA).

And that is just a hint. The African Giant who says he will not be reduced to anything but remaining just that had won the Best African Act at the MTV EMA Awards before presenting an outstanding performance at the Coachella alongside other world’s greats such as Solange, Kid Cudi and Billie Eilish with the crowd jamming to his Killin Dem and Ye hit songs.

And with nothing stopping him, he ended the year with a Grammy nomination, a rare feat that is every musician’s dream.

Even with his international tours and big wins, this star seems to have spent every available time in studio releasing hit songs among them Omo, Pull Up, Anybody Gum Body, Killin Den and Another Story, all of which are doing well across Africa.

Besides, we can also credit Burna Boy for popularising Afro-beats, the new African sound that has taken the world by storm.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

29

hot in africa — PULSER WRITER

Sho Madjozi

Y

ou can’t help falling in love with this 27-year-old star Maya Christinah Wegerif aka Sho Madjozi the South African rapper, singer, songwriter, actress and poet who has no doubt joined the league of the big stars in Africa. Having started off recently with her breakthrough coming just last year when she released Huku and Wakanda Forever, Sho Majozi got the world’s attention with her John Cena hit, a mega single that saw her break the glass ceiling to receive international recognition. This year, she won a BET Best New International Act award and then went ahead to scoop the Best Female for Southern Africa accolade at the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) in Dallas, Texas. She has turned one of the best performers in Africa and her versatility has been her unique strength.

In November, this rather lovable and stylish beauty got the world’s attention after she appeared at the Kelly Clarkson Show where she was got the surprise of her life after the host brought in John Cena in the middle of her performance just after she had confessed she loved him so much and she would ‘die’ to see him.

Diamond Platnumz

E

COURTESY

30

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

ven though Nasibu Abdul Juma aka Diamond Platnumz seemed to lose his 2018 momentum this year, that does not mean he wasn’t one of the biggest African acts of 2019.

Even as his empire got shaken with rebels from his stable quitting and others threatening to leave, Diamond kept his focus and remained the most influential singer in Tanzania with his songs dominating airwaves.

From Kanyaga, which became an East Africa household song to The One and then his November releases Baba Yao and Sound (featuring Teni), it was clear that the 30-year-old entertainer had his game right as he protected his tuff, even as he expanded his showbiz empire by recruiting artistes from across the continent to work with him. His latest move of inviting Tiwa Savage and Wizkid to his annual Wasafi Festival was a sure sign that his vision remains on focus. Diamond has been one of the most influential entertainers in Africa and for sure, 2019 was a redefining one for him as he seemingly started what to many seems a journey into a political future.

COURTESY

Yemi Alade

T

he 30-year-old Yemi Alade, yet another Nigerian Afropop singer and songwriter had a 2019 that defined her as ‘Woman of Steel’ the tag of her new album which has been rated among the top projects carried by continental artistes this year.

The album which was launched in a number of countries in Africa as well as abroad was a broad statement that indeed Yemi is still the girl to beat when it comes to Afropop music. Having gained prominence after winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009 and getting her major breakthrough after releasing her Johnny hit single, Yemi has stood tall as an Africa music voice on the rise.

Her new release Woman of Steel album comes with songs such as Vibe, Shekere, singles that come after initial 2019 releases such as Home and Yaji.

And it is her great networking with leading artistes across Africa that has even enhanced her visibility to become one of the most popular stars of mother Africa in 2019. Having been listed as one of the most influential people in Africa and getting nominated in major awards such as BET, MTV African Music Award and MOBO, things could not get any better as she got nominated for the Grammys to cap a good year.

Khaligraph Jones

T

his Kenyan rapper is one who nobody dare touch. The OG shall be respected! Khaligraph Jones aka Papa Jones is arguably the most influential rapper in Africa right now and 2019 has been one year when he stamped his authority as a force to recon with in the continental music scene.

Having started off his professional singing career after he won the Channel O Emcee Africa competition at the age of 19, the 27-year-old has been on a constant rise with his strength lying on his fast style of rapping and his ability to write lyrics having put together over 600 songs to-date. This year has seen him release big projects such as Beat It, Leave Me Alone, Japo Kidogo, Tonight and Superman among others besides dropping an album. His real name being Brian Robert Ouko, the year has seen this showbiz icon work on various projects with artistes from across Africa some some of the best work being projects with fellow Kenyan artistes such as the Khali Cartel 3 release. This year, the versatile star was voted the Best Male Artiste in East Africa during the Afrima Awards held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

31

hot in africa

Tiwa Savage

W

Mr. Eazi

C

redited for pioneering Banku music, a fusion sound he describes as a mixture of Ghanaian highlife and Nigerian chord progressions and patterns, Oluwatosin Ajibade aka Mr Eazi has been on a constant rise since he started off doing music around 2012. The 28-year-old singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur ended the second quarter of 2019 on a high note after releasing Supernova (Visualizer), that after becoming one of the only two African artistes to perform at one of the music industry’s biggest festivals – Conchella.

For an artiste who released their debut mixtape About to Blow in July 2013, it must be an act of consistence and focus for Mr Eazi to be commanding international following and getting a deal with Universal Africa, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group

32

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

herever Yemi Alade went, Tiwa Savage has been or she will surely follow! And with Yemi in this list, Tiwa Savage has her rightful place of honour too here, and so on merit.

If there is a year Tiwa Savage was visible in the showbiz scene, then 2019 was it. The 39-year-old Isale Eko born singer, songwriter and actress seemed to push all the buttons – including her ‘romantic space’ with Wizkid to keep her star shinning all year long.

Probably it was a good thing parting ways with her spouse Tunji Balogun!

Just before Yemi Alade released Woman of Steel, Tiwa Savage was making milestones with her hit 49-99. She had just returned home from winning the Best African Act prize during the MTV Europr Music Awards 2018 and she had every ego to prove that she was the girl of the moment. And she did as she made successful international tours before icing it with an Afrima where she took home the Best Female West Africa accolade to silence her haters.

COURTESY

Akothee

S

he was recently crowned the Best Female Artiste in East Africa at annual African Muzik Magazine Awards (Afrimmas) in Dallas, Texus, so who are you to argue that Esther Akoth aka Akothee is queen bee in East Africa.

Beating her competition of celebrated stars among them Victoria Kimani, Fena Gitu, Vanessa Mdee and Nandy proved that she has what it takes to be labeled The First Lady.

It has been quite a year for the singing entrepreneur who also turned one of the most influential personalities in Kenya for advocating for the rights of women and the poor in Kenya and even capturing the nation’s attention when she decided to run a national fundraising campaign to help the drought striven people of Turkana. Her Rollam project as well as the Muje hit too kept her fans seeking for more. For that is the wisdom of a 39-year-old.

Nandy and Willy Paul

F

or their effort to keep East Africa entertained and the world talking, give it up to these two – duo called Willy Paul and Nandy. They might not have won any major awards this year but when it comes to performances across East Africa, these were truly the showstoppers thanks to their chemistry on stage that can be equated to that of Tiwa Savage and Wizkid.

Just like Tiwa and Wizkid, they kept the controversy around their assumed romantic affair going as their toured across East Africa together and recorded collaborations with Hallelujah taking up from where the 2018 Njiwa hit left it.

Besides, for the last two years, the 27-year-old Nandy whose real name is Faustina Charles Mfinanga has remained the most influential female singer in Tanzania even earning herself the Goodwill ambassador for UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene programme (WASH) in Tanzania’s, a programme that works in over 100 countries worldwide to improve water and sanitation services, as well as basic hygiene practices. At Willy Paul (born Wilson Radido) has not only remained controversial but quite a schemer who is keen in watching the changing trends in the showbiz game and taking advantage of every opportunity arising.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

33

FASHION - PERIS WAMBUGU

t s e d b x i S esse s dr eleb 9 c 201 of

W

e are about to fold the calendar after a long 12 months.

Before we kick 2018 to the curb, what about we look at the most memorable and game-changing fashion looks by celebs we love to follow

NANCIE MWAI The Shop New Level CEO is definitely one of the biggest trendsetters the fashion industry has today. She also doubles up as a fashion blogger whose fashion choices have earned her quite the following on her social media platforms. Her style varies depending on the occasion and let’s just say that this was a bold pick. Nancie is one of the best dressed ladies of 2019 and so, congrats.

34

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

AMINA ABDI RABAR When it comes to modesty fashion, media personality Amina Abdi Rabar has been on top of the game this year. In this look that was styled by award winning fashion stylist Brian Babu, Amina shows us how to layer on outfits and get a masterpiece as the end result. Being the bubbly person that she is, the colour red, which she says lifts her spirit and self-esteem was the best pick for her entire look. She got our attention.

ANITA NDERU We all agree that the petite lass is a darling when it comes to the red carpet.

She is known for her gorgeous looks but this gown was a definite win. Designed by the talented Native Woman, this layered gown with a floral applique is what she chose to strut the 15th E Entertainment anniversary in South Africa in and she sure was a sight to behold. Anita stood out this year when it comes to the hot dressed celebs of 2019. Keep going girl.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

35

FASHION

TRACY WANJIRU The Teen Republik host who also doubles up as an emcee and acne brand ambassador is big on following trends and animal prints happens to be one of her favourites. The sexy lass posed for the gram in an extraordinary leg reveal halter leopard print jumpsuit. She accessorised her look with hoop earrrings and finished it off with black mules.

LUCIA MUSAU At the Moet Grand Day, it was a definite leg day for Lucia Musau. Her entire look was fit for a goddess. Playing host duties comes with a package and that obviously includes how you dress up. With the theme being white and gold, you can only expect Luxury PR consultant to give us a look worth remembrance. This floor length gown was one of our favourite looks of the year. Lucia means class.

36

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

NEOMI NGANGA She is multi-talented but let’s take a minute to appreciate her fashion prowess.

She is not only a designer but also has amazing taste when it comes to her own personal style. You will find her in her own designs most of the time which she obviously knows how to style. She has given plus size fashion a whole new meaning and we love it.

She is a lover of all things bright and beautiful as seen on her in this floral dress.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

37

hotofthemonth -- PULSER WRITER tracy gesare

F

rom meeting world’s greats like David Beckham and Q-Tip to having his Everyone is Winging it and Other Fly Tales get international recognition, 2019 has been such a roller-coaster breakthrough year for Bill Selanga aka Blinky Bill. The Kenyan musician, DJ and producer candidly speaks of his 13-years of music journey and how self believe has made him the phenomenal star he is today Q: In your song Don’t Worry, you say something in the lines of “I don’t have time for those who do not reciprocate, I’m done explaining myself”, what was that about?

A: That’s more of a life thing and my philosophy too. It is about being brave enough to create the art I want to see exist in the world and it doesn’t have to be for everyone. Sometimes people are so caught up in trying to impress everyone and that is how people lose their authenticity. Since I started playing even as part of Just-a-Band (JAB), I have never played to an empty audience and the people that get me feel my art.

Q: In that case do you think you have been brave enough?

A: I think I have. I am always making the effort. There is a line in Game of Thrones where someone asks ‘How can you be brave, when you are afraid?’ and the answer was, ‘that’s the time that you can be brave, when you are afraid.’ We are in a world where people’s attention spans are short. It feels like things move quickly nowadays, which is difficult to know where you stand with people. Having done five projects in my career, I feel like I still have so much more to explore, create and give to the music world. I acknowledge what I’ve done and I know that I can do so much more and actually being brave to do it.

Q: One of the backdrops in the same song reads, “I am the light of the world”. What was that about?

A: We realised the backdrop was there way after we had shot the video. In fact, I was so surprised. I feel like my life has been a series of coincidences lately.

Q: Would you still say you are ‘the light’ Kenyan music talking?

A: I would say I am ‘a light’ as opposed to ‘the light’. Kenya has such great artistes and by doing good work right now. They are shining and being ‘a light’. That and building self-belief in the entertainment industry is an important job my generation and the next generation of artistes didn’t sign up for but we have to do.

Q: With the lack of self-belief, would you say that there is still no support for artistes who are doing good music?

A: Unfortunately, yes. Kenya has had good artistes but we do not appreciate them. For example, Ayub Ogada who died this year. I rarely hear his songs on radio, but Kanye West can get Ayub Ogada and sample him on his projects. So he is good enough for one of the best producers of this generation but not good enough for Kenyan media to play his music regularly? I think we are terrible at celebrating artistes, athletes, actors…name them.

Q: Can a career be sustained by support then?

A: When Hugh Masekela and Oliver Mtukudzi died, the whole continent knew. Their Kenyan equivalents are not even known. The likes of Slim Ali, Mighty Cavaliers, Kamaru, Them Mushrooms.

With us, it is about celebrating you at that time but it’s almost going to be locked for that period.

Q: I hope this changes…

A: I hope it changes too. There is a thing about sustaining sustained support where it gives people the momentum. However, at the heart of it as an artiste is to keep creating and working hard. For me, once my album is out, there is only so much I can do. My next project is often influenced by what else I can do, what’s the next frontier, where do I want to go?

Q: Where did you want to go with “Everyone is Winging it and Other Fly Tales”?

A: Every album is always a marker of a certain period in my life; a portrayal of where I am creatively and generally in life. This album has enabled me to tour the world, live a little, experience life which has helped me have content for a new project. I have played in Turn to pgs 40 & 41

38

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

In a year when the glam world of pageants and beauty queens got its glitter back, we wrap it all with upclose-and-candid interviews with beauties who made it big and got the crowns

being blinky bill pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

39

hotofthemonth From pgs 38 & 39

different places in the world where I didn’t think I would have and it has also grown me so much as an artiste. It has done well for what I intended for it to do and taken me beyond where I wanted to go.

Q: What made you choose the title “Everyone is Winging It”?

A: I think everyone is winging it. I am an observer of people and life in general. I am always very hesitant to be someone’s hero or role model because I think that is too much of a responsibility to give any human being. For instance, I used to think my mum knew everything, and then you grow up and realize that she doesn’t.

All of us don’t always have the answer and no single human being can be good at everything.

Q: What was the most surprising thing about how it was received?

A: It was people connecting with it in different places in the world. Someone sent me a video of it playing at the hotel they were at in Abuja. Another video came in and it was playing in a H&M store in Cambridge UK. Then came in Ireland, Brussels, China and other places I have never been to or even know exists.

It was very confusing for me at first, but that is the surprising thing about music, it travels so far. Things like those made me know there is something special about that project. And I have always believed that my music will always find its audience across the world.

Q: Being an alternative music DJ, do you think your work could be classified as pioneering?

A: With that, I have not yet reached the point where I want to, so for now it is more of I just need to keep working and improving myself.

Q: As much as you do not often take credit for it, there is a crop of Kenyan nu-school artistes Just-a-Band has influenced…

A: Without a doubt. I think Just-aBand was incredibly influential in that way. Where we just did whatever we wanted to do and then that freed more people to create whatever art they wanted to without conforming. There are a couple of the new artistes who tell me we paved the way and I’m glad we did.

Q: You have been signed by The Garden music label, what led you to that decision?

A: With this album (Everyone is Winging it and Other Fly Tales) I did not want to just release another album, I

40

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

wanted to be able to have it at least distributed in other places and see what could happen. I know for a fact that the world is not just Kenya; you can only sell so many albums here. I’m learning a lot as the days go by and I am also happy that I can be anywhere in Europe and find my album in stores. That is progress and I am happy with the move to get signed. With the three projects we churned with Just-a-Band I feel like we could have sold way more if we were elsewhere in the world.

Q: When are you releasing the next project?

A: I don’t know. The most I want to do is work on really solid ideas. However, it has to be different from this album, that’s part of my work ethic; I don’t build the same thing twice.

Q: Which means you are an artiste who doesn’t pursue to settle on a single sound or genre?

A: One of the hats I wear is a producer hat. I work with a lot of artistes and that also makes me diversify to give those I work with good tracks for their music to stand out despite the genre. I am more of an open creative as opposed to doing things in one way all my life.

With every new project I strive to make something new to me every time. I would comfortably say, I don’t have a sound; I have a groove, a vibe.

Q: That has to do with you growing up or just art?

A: I grew up listening to everything. I actually had a really strong rock phase. I have developed a very good ear through listening to all genres of music because that’s all I spend my days doing. All that is opening me up to new things. For instance, right now I am working on Nneka’s new album. She has toured with Damian Marley, worked with Nas and won awards. They asked me to go to Hamburg to help with creating the album. That made me at peace with everything. That there are people who get my vision and get my music hundred percent.

Q: Year 2019 has been a big one for you. You have had shows in Montreal, Ibiza, New York, Hamburg, Antwerp and so many other places. You have also met the biggest people in the entertainment industry. Would you say you manifested all of these good things in to your life?

A: I honestly cannot speak on that because I also get super surprised by how things happen. Maybe I am just a

lucky person but also, my mum is always praying for me. For instance, while I was in New York, I asked two of my friends if I could get to do a studio session with Q-Tip. We left it at that. Later that night when I was playing on a show, Dave Chapelle and Q-Tip were in the audience!

While I was performing Huff and Puff Q-Tip asked me to pull up the track and then we spoke after the show. I do not think I understand any of this at this point; maybe I will get it when I connect the dots looking back. All of these things made me believe that everything I have always wanted to do is possible. If you told me any of these would happen when I was in KU (Kenyatta University) starting Just-a-Band, I would not have believed you.

Q: Do some of those moments ever get emotional?

A: Yes, like that day Q-Tip came to my show I was. Then to think that I am friends with Commissioner Gordon, a producer who has four Grammys, has worked on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, has worked with Amy Winehouse, produced welcome to Jamrock and a bunch of other incredible music. It gets emotional knowing where I have come from and being told so many times that my style of music would not work, that I

y m r a e v I ays alw itant toe’s hes omeon be s o or . her model role

COURTESY

Turn to pgs 42 & 43

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

41

COURTESY

.

needed to change to make it more of something most people would understand.

Q: You speak fondly of your mum...

A: Yes, I love my mum. All this adventurous life I have lived was indirectly inspired by her. She has travelled the world; from Pakistan, India, France, New Zealand that she has done on a budget entire. She really pushed for me and my siblings to work hard.

Q: Then you used your grandma’s picture as a cover for one of your songs.

What does she think of the life you have made?

A: Every time I am outside the country she thinks I am in South Africa.

Every other country outside of Kenya is South Africa. And she always asks when I will be settling down and getting kids.

She is a great woman.

Q: What did you study in Kenyatta University?

A: Sport Science. I did not have a plan for KU. It just happened to be a place

hotofthemonth From pgs 40 & 41

where I needed to be to meet the Just-a-Band guys. It was a good course but it was not for me. I didn’t even enjoy it so I dropped it. The way things have turned out, I am glad I did not finish.

Q: It didn’t make sense?

A: I finish things that make sense to me and not just because you are supposed to finish something. This life is too short to do things for the sake of doing them. People need to invest time in things they actually care about. The only thing I regret is dropping physics and music in high school because that is what I use the most now.

Q: Did you have to get formal training for the music and physics you use now?

A: I learnt most of the things I know now by myself. However, I have learnt from different people but not in classroom. Then I went to the Redbull Music Academy in Tokyo for two weeks. I learn from everyone….like if I am not learning, I am observing and paying attention to things that might be of service to me for my practice and for future reference. That’s school for me.

Q: In that case, are there guidelines you live by?

A: First, create the art you want to see, that’s the motto for me. Second, is to live. I take my work seriously but not too seriously that you do not enjoy life. I take a lot of risks as an artiste. I always know some of those things won’t work but why not create them?

Q: What is the biggest risk that bore fruit?

A: Being a solo artiste. Just-a-Band was and is very successful in its own right. I do not think I would be able to do what I have done now if we had not taken the break. Going solo means I needed to believe in myself even more, it is like starting all over again. I did not know whether I would sink or swim. I was starting to get comfortable and it felt like a crutch at some point. I didn’t know what I was capable of outside of the group.

Q: When will Just-a-Band get back together?

A: I can’t tell you when, but when we do, I know it will be powerful because we have all become better as independent artistes and at what we bring to the team.

Q: You spoke about Game of Thrones earlier on; what other shows do you catch upon?

A: I like watching a variety of things. I just finished Season 2 of Jack Ryan, Star

42

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Wars. Right now I am getting into photography and so I am into a show called Euphoria where the cinematography is insane. A year ago I would not notice that but now I am very keen.

Q: Your photography is getting really good, real fast. How did you become intrigued by it?

A: I am travelling a lot nowadays and sometimes I travel solo where I see so many interesting things and people. I am a hobbyist photographer. I just wanted to take and share pictures and show people about some of these beautiful places. I was recently in Samburu at Mt. Ololokwe and the view is breathtaking. It makes you see Kenya in a different light.

Q: Your evolution has been quite the journey; do you have any regrets?

A: I am happy with my journey. I do not regret how I did things to get to where I am today. It has been 13 years of doing music and I still feel like I am only starting because of the things I am doing now and so many other things that I want to do that I haven’t done. It feels like I need to work even harder because I’m close to getting my foot in the door.

My goals now are internal because sometimes you would say something and people would dispute it because they think it cannot happen.

Q: What would you say got you to where you are today?

ly n o The g I thinret is reg pping d dro sics an phy ic in l. mus h schoo hig COURTESY

COURTESY

COURTESY

coverstory A: Its 40 percent discipline, 40 percent focus then the rest is up to chance and the higher power. I say that because I know people who are much more disciplined than I am and others who are way focused. I think I am a resilient and determined person.

Q: Will you be adding ‘photographer’ in your professional catalogue?

A: I am taking photography very serious actually. It is a good combination because first, I am always travelling so, why not? Second, it brings in a new perspective and a new discipline. In learning about photography I become better at my first discipline which is making music. I learnt through YouTube and being surrounded by amazing photographers and videographer friends in Just-a-Band and out here. I was quietly learning even before I knew I was learning. I hope to create films as a director of photography when I eventually get there.

Q: What are you currently struggling with?

A: I am struggling to get that work-life balance, because I am a workaholic. I am always working and I need to figure out the balance of that and spending more time with people who I care about. It has always been a struggle but I think I might be getting better at it.

Q: Speaking of people who matter, are you dating now?

A: I was seeing someone but it ended. I always feel that it is important to protect that part of my life because it is difficult as it is for me to even date someone. I never want to have an audience of thousands in my business; it is not an appealing thing to me to be quite honest. A little bit of mystery is good.

Q: But would you like to eventually settle and have a family?

A: Yes, definitely! I am looking forward to meeting the right person, I hope I will be keen enough to know (chuckles) and at the right time. It will be good to have someone to win this life with.

Q: What characteristics would you be looking at on that?

A: I would like to share life with someone who understands, who is supportive and one whom we complement each other. Time will tell. I hope I don’t mess it up though. I have not been

very good at relationships but I am very introspective. If something goes wrong, I always ask what my role in it was.

Q: You have met some really influential people in the world this year alone. How was it meeting David Beckham?

A: This year has been so strange actually. Meeting Beckham was funny to me because, I was playing at this show in South Africa. It was an hour to the show and then I saw David Beckham and I thought it was someone who looks a lot like him. A friend asked me to go say hello but I was reluctant. A few minutes to my time slot, I was told that Beckham wanted to speak with me.

Q: He was fun?

A: He is fun to be around. We joked a little then I told him my brother would have enjoyed meeting him than I did.

Then he joked, “I knew there was something wrong with you, you are an arsenal fan!” He is very charismatic and charming, maybe I could borrow that.

During my show I saw him take record it on his phone then I later realised he shared it on his Instagram!

Q: What legacy would you like to leave?

A: I came, I saw, I did my thing.

Seriously though, I would love to be known as the person who was versatile; through making movies, making scores for TV shows and making music with people I really admire. It is happening and it is going to happen. Everything that has happened up to this point has reminded me to keep going and never stop.

Bottom-line, I want to be that Kenyan who is in global spaces doing dope stuff, for as long as I am alive.

Q: Outside of music, who has inspired you on how they have approached life and how they still live?

A: Samuel L Jackson. There is nobody cooler than him. I have loved all his roles in movies but at the same time he is himself even outside of that.

(In reference to a new caricature collectible titled ‘Blinkys Flying Kitchen’ in his studio). Do you like to cook?

Yes. I make some mean fish and ugali which is also my favorite meal. Some of the meals I enjoy making are rice, beans, fish, nyama choma, chapatti and kachumbari. If I were to have one meal for the rest of my life I would have ugali, fish and osuga.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

43

travel

- PULSER WRITER

Y

ou are probably touring one of the most magnificent travel destinations in Kenya this holiday. Could be, you could be headed upcountry to chill till New Year. Year-in-year-out, Kenyans seem to visit the same places over and over. That is why we are suggesting you try these 12 magical offers that you might not have thought of as we cross over to 2020 Mount Kenya It’s like most Kenyans are waiting for the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya to completely melt down for them to climb the world over famous mountain. I mean, this is the second-highest mountain in Africa and one of the most famous in the world standing 5199 metres above sea level.

It is one of the most magnificent, mystique and awe provoking natural sceneries anyone can ever see in Africa with all this vegetation bands on the slopes and adventurous climbing and trekking slopes to explore.

With a five days’ expedition plan, you will be assured of enjoying nature at its best with over 800 recorded plant species, 81 of which are endemic to Mount Kenya as well as a wide variety of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, eland, bushbuck, waterbuck,

44

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

zebra, hyena, colobus monkey and white-throated guegnon, among others.

Here, the rule has always been “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints” and for sure, if you like in Kenya, and in this Pulser generation, it would be a shame to get to your sundowner days before watching the sun set from the peaks of Mount Kenya – God’s gift to our lovely nation. And must we say, this is yet another World Heritage Site.

Masai Mara National Reserve There is no way you can claim to be a wildlife and nature lover if you haven’t set foot in the Masai Mara National Reserve, which is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Africa.

This reserve – that literally gives life to the Great Rift Valley – is known mostly for the annual wildebeest’s migration,

COURTESY

12 Kenyan Magical destinations

which involves 1.5 million animals (arriving in July and departing in November – that making this magical movement a world wonder.

So just think of yourself, why haven’t you visited this magnificent wonder next door while you are probably spending all that cash you would have used to make a tour in your local bar every other month?

In Masai Mara, there have been some 95 species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles and over 400 birds species recorded on the reserve and nowhere else in Africa is wildlife more abundant, and it is for this reason a visitor hardly misses to see the big five; buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and rhino.

Now, as you make those resolutions, make Masai Mara a priority.

Fort Jesus We have all been to Mombasa and generally everywhere in the Kenyan Coast and while there, the most natural thing that comes to our minds is our beautiful beaches.

But have you ever stopped to think of the rich history that is found in our Coastal towns?

You don’t have to be a historian to know of this important historical landmark in the East African region, a national treasure managed by the National Museums of Kenya. Located in Mombasa Island, Fort Jesus Museum was built in1593 to1596 to secure the safety of Portuguese living on the East Coast of Africa.

Fort Jesus was used as a barrack for the soldiers and converted to a prison when the British protectorate was proclaimed. The Fort’s layout and form reflected the Renaissance ideal that perfect proportions and geometric harmony are to be found in the human body. The property covers an area of 2.36 hectares and includes the fort’s moat and immediate surroundings. Now if you have plans to visit Mombasa this holiday, make a point of visiting this spot and you will start seeing Mombasa from a different dimension.

Lamu Museums Now renovated and reserved by the government as a national heritage, the construction of Lamu Fort commenced in 1813, shortly after Lamu’s victory over Pate and Mombasa in the battle of Shela. This major building task was reputedly undertaken with the cooperation of Seyyid Said, the Sultan of Oman who was then cultivating a promising new alliance with Lamu.

Just like with the rest of the Kenyan Coastal towns, we love Lamu for its white serene and beautiful quiet beaches, but we hardly

think of this historical World Heritage Site that helps preserve and promote this rich cultural heritage on this little island. Now that you haven’t visited Lamu and in particular Lamu Museums this year, why not put this on your bucket list? This is the true magical Kenya.

for threatened Impalas within Kisumu City and its environs. The sanctuary is one of Kenya’s smallest wildlife reserves. It also provides a safe grazing area for hippos from the Lake.

The four wonders of Kisumu tourism circuit

They might have succeeded in claiming that Mount Kilimanjaro is not in Kenya but around it is our Amboseli National Park – which is a year-round destination, with warm temperatures. It has a lot of wildlife and enjoys a peak birdwatching season between October and January, when migratory species inhabit the park. This nature lovers’ paradise is known for its large elephant herds and views of immense Mount Kilimanjaro panoramas. Varied wildlife includes elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and hundreds of bird species.

Amboseli National Park

Kisumu is more than Lake Victoria. If Luo is a lifestyle, then Kisumu has more than fish to boast of. The four wonders of Kisumu include Hippo Point, Kisumu Museum and Kit Mikayi.

Hippo Point Hippo Point is a 600-acre open viewing area on Lake Victoria. It is better known as a viewing point for its unobstructed sunsets over the Lake than for its occasional hippos.

Located near the village of Dunga, it is a few kilometers South West of Kisumu Town. The village also has a fishing port and a camping site. Enjoy a peaceful boat ride as you observe hippos and birds in their natural habitat or go out fishing and enjoy the scenery of Kisumu city straight from the deep.

Kisumu Museum Kisumu Museum is a small yet comprehensive exhibition gallery and display of the material culture of the people of the Western Rift Valley and Nyanza region. This includes traditional clothing and adornment, basketry, fishing gear, agricultural tools and hunting weaponry. Also on display are several dioramas, including a lion, De Brazza monkey, and the largest Nile Perch ever caught in Kenya.

Tsavo National Park Taita Taveta where both Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks are situated is a sanctuary of many undiscovered tourism sites. You need to check out theTaita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Lake Chala and Jipe, Mzima Springs, Lugard Falls and Shetani Lava Flow. However, every Pulser should have visited the two big ones; Tsavo West National Park and Tsavo East National Park.

These are two beautiful parks with a savannah ecosystem that comprises open grasslands, scrublands, acacia woodlands, belts of riverine vegetation and rocky ridges.

Attractions at the park include diverse bird and plant species, elephants, hippos, rhino, leopards, buffalos, crocodiles, waterbucks, cheetahs and lions.

The attractions of Turkana

Kit Mikayi Kit Mikayi, a large rock (Tor) with three rocks on top, is situated about 29 kilometers West of Kisumu. It stands tall above many surrounding rocks in Kangeso village. The 70 ft. to 80 ft. stone is also a weeping rock. It poses like a woman with a load on her back.

Climb the rocks and observe the breadths and span of Lake Victoria, Kisumu City and Kisumu International Airport as well as the rolling plains as you are entertained with the many stories and myths of this sight.

Impala Sanctuary The Kisumu Impala Sanctuary spans about 38 ha. It was created to provide a home

Being the second largest of the 47 counties, Turkana is one of the least explored county in the country hence its potential and viable tourism destination are the least explored. And virgin as they are, this is one spot you should purpose to visit away from the usual and traditional destinations. We will leave this for you to explore but we suggest you check out the Central Island National Park, the Beaches of Eliye Springs, Ferguson Gulf, Kalokol Standing Stones, The Hot Waterfalls of Kapedo, Lobolo Swamp, Lokori Standing Stones and Rock at as well as Lake Logipi.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

45

hotspot — peter muiruri

Bold & Beautiful N

airobians are in for a culinary treat, thanks to a bold new dining experience in leaning four and five-star hotels in the city.

We have well-seasoned chefs who artists in the form of flavour.

From Radisson Blu Upper Hill, Villa Rosa Kempinski, to Serena, to Hilton and Stanley as well as Norfolk, which are some of Nairobi’s biggest and respected hotels, the competition – especially during this season of Christmas is real. And it is not competition parse. It is every craftsman doing what they know best how they know best on their playground.

In one of those posh hotels, for starters, there is marinated Mombasa crab with lime, ginger, green onion and cilantro served in some mystique dishes. This is followed by flamed Sea scallops that literally cook as you eat. Meat lovers will enjoy the 21-day aged fillet steak served on a salt block (for a plate!). The desert comes in smoking variations, thanks to the new molecular gastronomy technique.

The new menu masterfully elevates Kenya’s beloved grilled meat dishes to a level that is unmatched on the continent, with in-house aging of meats up to 72 days. The

46

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

nimo

COURTESY

COURTESY/Radisson Blu Upper Hill

dry ager is the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Each dish is designed with a poetic flair that pays homage to the elegance of Haute Cuisine, drawing from techniques of other esteemed chefs from around the world.

Witty Wissem encourages his team to go beyond making a meal but to colour outside the lines, bring not only their artistry but also their distinct flaws and quirks to each plate.

With a spirit of playful experimentation, they explore new taste combinations and culinary techniques, since, in their words,� it is through these unique expressions, that the possibility of delight and surprise emerges, when something that was once just an idea now comes to life.�

This extra ordinary menu, prepared and presented using ultra-modern culinary technology and equipment will guarantee a feast for all your senses.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

47

out&about

MUIRURI —-PETER peter muiruri

The happy holiday cities of the world D

ecember holidays are here and everybody wants to be happy.

But did you know that happiness has a gauge?

In fact, for the last seven years, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Solution Network has prepared a World Happiness Report. The report ranks countries around the world and details how the respective citizens perceive themselves to be.

Kenya was ranked 121 out of 156 countries sampled. That means we need to go out there and find out who beat us in the happiness index, especially to cities where happiness is guaranteed. If you can, please give any of these seven cities a shot this December, or if not now, have them on your bucket list.

We will rank them in no particular order as we want you to be the judge.

Basel, Switzerland Zurich and Geneva may be the well known cities in Switzerland. However, this small city that sits near the border of French and Germany is said to have the one of the happiest populations on earth. Like many cities in Europe, it has a medieval town centre, vibrant carnivals celebrations, great art museums and good food to boot. Basel is one of the few places in Europe that boasts of 300 days of sunshine. Make time to visit any of the 40 museums strewn around Basel including one with

48

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Nothing screams festive or merry louder than vacationing this December holidays in one of the happiest cities in the world

the largest collection of stuffed teddy bears. Hey, one more reason to visit Basel; you may just bump into tennis legend Roger Federer. He was born here and has promised to play in local tennis courts.

Stockholm, Sweden Like dozens of cities in Europe, Stockholm sits on “many waters.” Built on 14 islands, the city’s breathtaking architecture takes on different hues as it is photographed against the water. Residents and visitors are healthy and happy and it is a common sight to spot them jogging from every corner. You can indulge in Swedish treats such as kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) and chokladboll (chocolate ball coated in coconut) while there.

Amsterdam, Netherlands Like Stockholm, the Dutch capital has water as the key component of the city. It is actually referred to as the “Venice of the North” for its 165 canals and 1,280 bridges. There are homes that literally sit on water. Despite her

out & about

COURTESY

Melbourne has one of the highest numbers of restaurants anywhere in the world. Despite being on an isolated part of the world, it is one of the most welcoming. In fact, 38 per cent of the population was born overseas. The healthy mix of cultures from all over the world must have contributed to have Melbourne voted as one of the happiest cities on earth. Let us know the veracity of this claim.

Vancouver, Canada “You’re gorgeous, baby, you’re sophisticated, you live well...Vancouver is Manhattan with mountains. It’s a liquid city, a tomorrow city, equal parts India, China, England, France and the Pacific Northwest. It’s the cool North American sibling.” That is how the New York Times described this North American city. Its rich mix of global cultures is unmatched. Besides, the city is clean, safe –day or night – with a welcoming population. Its gourmet repertoire is legendary.

Whatever you do here, do not forget to taste a glass of Laughing Stock’s Pinot Gris from the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia wine at its best and a sure dose of happiness.

17th Century architecture, Amsterdam is a modern, vibrant city where happiness is always served with a big spoon. Art lovers have a field day navigating the endless maze inside The Rijksmuseum, the country’s national museum, the most visited museum in The Netherlands, hosting more than 2.2 million visitors. The museum hosts 8,000 art pieces spanning several centuries. It houses great names such as Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer. In fact, the masterpieces by these three are the main attrac-

tions to the museum.

The most striking piece is Rembrandt’s Night Watch, the only painting in the museum guarded by two security personnel. Discover more on your visit. A caution though: Don’t confuse the city’s coffee shops with your neighbourhood eateries. Coffee shops here act as legal dispensaries for marijuana in this European country. Whether these joints contribute to the city’s happiness is another matter altogether.

Melbourne, Australia If food is a key factor in happiness, then the city Down Under takes a gold medal.

Auckland, New Zealand, While we struggle with racial, tribal and class distinctions locally, such vices are unheard of in Auckland. The city is said to be one with little or no class distinctions in the world. Like Melbourne, this New Zealand city is fond of visitors who come to enjoy the immense days of sunshine – 265 in a year. Arrange your affairs well and find out more about why this city Down Under, rocks.

Copenhagen, Denmark This city shares historical and architectural accolades with other European cities aforementioned. The art and history museums are among the best in the world. It is also one of the jazz capitals of the world with great maestros having lived or performed there. Are you a wellness enthusiast? Then try the biking safaris and take in the city’s attractions from close quarters.

There you have it. One of these cities was voted the happiest by the UN researchers. Can you figure out which one it is?

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

49

in my closet - ahadi wambui

C

harm, glam and class are the magic words that Santa would use on this adventure beauty this

Christmas If there is a fashion blogger who has kept us on our toes fashionwise this year, that is the flamboyant and gorgeous classy lass, Joy Kendi. After all, she is the 2019 Kenyan Blogger of the Year.

A Psychology graduate, Joy started her journey into celebville through television hosting and had acting gigs in productions such as Prem and Changing Times. She oozes style and

sophistication in every way and describes herself as an African woman who indulges in contemporary style.

The beauty was nominated for the 2013 Best Up and Coming Blog in Kenya

by Bloggers Association of Kenya and the 2014 and 2015 Best Fashion/ Beauty/Style Blog in Kenya. She has headlined a number of lifestyle magazine covers such as Drum and Couture Africa from Kenya, Elle India, Cosmopolitan India, Glam Magazine Nigeria and UK, among others.

We take a sneak peek into this beauty’s closet.

A touch

of Joy

: @justjoykendi : Joy Kendi : justjoykendi blog

50

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Q: What’s your favourite item in your closet?

A: All of my shoes. I am a shoe person through and through.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My personal style varies day by day.

Each day I go with whatever vibe I am in.

Somedays I go athleisure, other days a girly version of myself and others, I am the boss lady. At the end of the day each look is slightly in the lowkey sexier version.

Q: What is the best style advice you’ve ever gotten?

A: High waist skirts and trousers look amazing on almost every body type.

COURTESY

Q: A fashion quote you live by?

A: “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” — Edith Head Q: What are the three items you always have in your bag?

A: Lipgloss, my Canon G7x Camera and a wallet.

Q: What item in your closet do you wear

the most?

A: My black blazer. It goes with everything. It can be dressed up and down.

Q: If you could raid one person’s closet, who would it be?

A: Signed Blake.

Q: What’s in your beach bag?

A: Towel, drinks, sunscreen, deodorant, snacks, painkillers, technology and bikinis.

Q: Talking of bikini, what is your favourite bikini?

A: Swim suits. I love them. Any swimsuit that has a high thigh cut.

Q: What is your favourite holiday getaway destination?

A: Lamu…always. It’s everything to me.

But currently, I am falling in love with Kilifi.

Q: What is your go-to holiday look?

A: Simplicity is everything. No make-up, and anything with an off-shoulder is perfect.

Q: What is your favourite places to visit?

A: That depends on what I’m looking for.

For night life that would be Lagos, Malaysia for food and the Kenyan Coast for relaxing.

We have the best beaches. If I want real fun, I head to Johannesburg.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

51

beauty tips - faith the whisperer

R

ed is screaming; “Joy to the Word”. If you’re wondering how to turn the Christmas mojo on or show your festive spirit, try incorporating a dash or red to your wardrobe and shine your way

1

Little sexy red dress During the festive season, ditch the little black dress for a little red dress. The power of a little red dress is unmatched and highly underrated. It’s an effortless way to look chic and fashionable.

You’ll stand out more. It also has a sexier appeal than the LBD. Additionally, It’s suitable for every occasion, but it’s especially great for date nights.

2

The ‘kiss me’ red lipstick Everybody loves a good red lip. It’s one of the most desirable lipstick shades to date thanks to Old Hollywood actresses like Marilyn Monroe. Wearing red lipstick instantly elevates your look and makes you look vibrant. Channel your inner Monroe by wearing red lipstick. YSL Rouge and MAC Ruby Woo are some of the best red lipsticks in the market right now.

3

Red eyeshadow lash This eyeshadow colour is not for the faint-hearted. It looks as dramatic as it sounds. However, with a little mastering, you’ll look like a beauty guru. It’s also a fun colour to try out this month as it matches the holiday theme.

4

Red accessories radiation You can slay at your Christmas party without going out of your comfort zone by wearing red accessories. Accessories complement your outfit. All you have to do is pick the right accessories whether it’s a red bracelet, clutch bag or necklace. Additionally, you can never go wrong with colour-coordinated accessories.

The eye-turner red stilettoes You need a pair of killer heels to complete any good look.

What’s better than a pair of red stilettoes? Not only are the sexy but also they go well with any outfit from jeans to an evening dress. These are also a wardrobe staple, especially if you love heels.

Turn on

light

52

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

5

THE GLOW — Annette Hakim

COURTESY

COURTESY

When your nails whisper

F

inding a great nail tech is kind of like finding the right partner. It’s highly likely you’ve had experiences that left you feeling disappointed or in some cases you may even have gone through nail-pisodes (episodes where your nails are constantly in bad shape and generally weak and the breakage is real). In moments like these, what your nails are trying to tell you is that you need to love and nurture them right.

If you’re looking to get into a loving and stable relationship where your nails are growing and glowing, here are five signs your nail tech is the one!

1 They prioritise health over length. If your

nail technician constantly works on maintaining the health of your nails versus the length,

nails healthy.

4

Your nails seem to respond well. If you’re visiting a nail tech and your nails seem to be attracting compliments left right and centre, then your nail tech is definitely doing something right.

then you have a good thing going. As long as you have strong and healthy nails, the length will catch up.

They can say no. Sometimes, a no is what you need. Nail treatments and experimenting with nails can be fun, however, it should always be in moderation. Having a nail tech who can tell you when it’s time to take a break from acrylics and stick ons is super important. This will show you they truly care and are not just after your money.

2

3

They constantly give you advice on the best practices. If your nail tech consults and gives you recommendations, hold them tight and never let them go. They have loads of knowledge on the best ways to keep your

5

They go by what’s good for you. Have you ever approached a nail tech with a Pinterest image for them to replicate and they said “That wouldn’t look good on you” Ouch! It may be difficult to hear, but nail shapes and sizes and nail polish colours also vary from individual to individual and so having a nail tech who looks out for your best interests could be one of those things you should not take for granted.

We hope you find these tips helpful as you search for your nail tech.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

53

beauty tips —pulser writer

W

earing stick-on and acrylic nails has become more popular this year than ever before.

With the wide range of nail trends to choose from, you can have your dream nails every time you visit the salon. Additionally, they’re convenient since you can go for weeks without worrying about the state of your nails. The only downside to fake nails is that they can do some serious damage to your real nails.

If you have had stick on or acrylic nails, you know how your real nails look after you remove them. The most damage happens while removing the fake nails. If not done properly, you might end up with broken nails or a serious injury. Here are some tips on how to remove fake nails without destroying your real nails.

1 54

Use acetone-based nail polish remover Nail polish remover works just as good on nail glue as it does on nail polish. You should start by soaking your hands in warm, soapy water for 15 minutes to loosen up the glue. Then, soak a cotton pad in the acetone and place on the nail for around 10 minutes. This breaks

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

COURTESY

Remove the fake, spare the real 2 3 4

the bond of the glue making it ea sier to remove the nails .

Use baby oil If the first metho d is a bit harsh fo r your nails, try adding some baby oil. Ba by oil is actually really go od for your nails thanks to the minerals in th e pr for removing fake oduct. It’s also good na glue making it ea ils. It loosens up the nail sier to remove th e nails without too muc h pr to a basin with w ying. Add some baby oil arm water then soak your hands for 30 to 45 minutes.

Clip, don’t bite We’re often tem pted to bite off w eak nails.

However, this do es more damage than good. Once your fake nails are off , clip your real nails to a su itable length and file This allows your nails to grow stro them. nger and with good form.

Apply a nail stre ngth There’s no way to ener av after removing st oid having weak nails ick-on or acrylic nails.

However, to avoi d fu sure you fortify yo rther damage, make ur nails using a na il strengthener. W hether you use a nail polish with nail harden ing ingredients or homemade nail streng then have this nail prod er, it’s important to uct if you wear fa ke nails.

Fashion

acking for a holiday as a man can be a big challenge since most travel packing lists are made for women.

Despite your best attempt, you still end up with a bunch of mismatched clothes while your woman, on the other hand, looks like she lives at the holiday resort. To avoid embarrassing situations, here are some essential items to pack for men.

COURTESY

The holiday starter pack P

—pulseer writer

Sunglasses A stylish pair of sunglasses are a must have on holiday. Apart from protecting your eyes from the sun, they complement the holiday style well.

Some of the best sunglasses for men include Aviators and Ray-Bans.

Polo Shirt If you’re unsure about which T-shirts to carry, always go for a polo shirt. It complements any style preference and it’s good for hot or cold weather. Go for foolproof colours like navy blue, black or white to avoid colour clashing.

Sneakers Even on holiday, the first thing people will notice are your shoes.

And yes, sandals are not shoes!

Make sure you have a stylish pair of sneakers that you can switch to for a nice dinner or a night out.

It’s also good to give your feet a break from open shoes.

Floral Shirt Another essential packing item is a floral shirt. Nothing shows you put in some thought into your holiday look like a floral shirt. They are especially great for beach holidays thanks to their vibrant colours. You can wear it buttoned up or buttoned down with a t-shirt or vest inside.

Shaving Kit A nice, clean-shaved face looks younger and is easier to maintain especially on holiday.

It’s easy to have unkempt hair which looks unattractive. If your facial hair grows back as soon as you trim them, you’ll need to pack a grooming kit.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

55

fitness

This season as we drop the crowded gym, workout with your significant other or friends

Y

ou might not have time for the gym, especially now that everyone’s headed out of town for the holidays. But does that mean you can’t still workout? Absolutely not.

That’s where your friends or partners comes in. Besides getting an awesome overall body workout, there are many health and emotional benefits you can get by working out some of these fun moves by doubling up.

56

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Time to double-up

- margaret ngenya

Squat jump

Wheelbarrow push-up Wheelbarrow push-up is an alternative exercise that targets the chest and also, to some extent, the abs, shoulders and triceps.

You start out the exercise in a plank position with your partner standing at your feet. Your partner should then position themselves in a high plank position with arms straight, shoulders above wrists and core tight. Reach down to lift your partner’s ankles, one at a time, and then stand back up. Now, your partner is in a wheelbarrow position (remember those wheelbarrow races we used to do in primary school?). Your partner then lowers into a push-up, keeping back straight, core tight and legs straight apart. You move forward with your hands and engage your core and glutes as you keep your eyes focused on the end point with your head staying up. Do about eight to 12 steps forward then switch roles.

Triceps kickback

In this, you will need two resistance bands for the routine. Your partner and you stand facing each other at arm’s length with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart as you hold each other’s forearms. Basically, each person holds one end of each resistance band, arms extended straight out. The band should have some light tension in it. Together, maintaining a secure grip, lower into a squat by sending hips back, bending both knees equally, and keeping the core tight. Hold for a moment, then slowly return to starting position. You then jump up in unison, maintaining band tension and arm position.

As you come down, land lightly on toes and immediately lower again. Jump again with no rest.

and hit any of you.

Partners’ plank You and your partner will have to get in the plank position facing each other. Start in a high plank – about one foot apart. Lift one hand off of the ground and reach toward the opposite shoulder of your partner. Repeat this with the opposite arm reaching to the opposite shoulder. This exercise should be done quickly for maximum results. Repeat this for eight to 12 reps for 30 seconds.

Medicine ball squat Stand back-to-back and fall into a low squat to ensure thighs are parallel to the flow.

This should be your position throughout the exercise. Hold the medicine ball at your chest as you rotate your upper body and simply hand the ball to your partner on the left side.

Your partner will rotate the medicine ball to the opposite side and quickly pass it back to you. Repeat eight to eight reps in one direction then switch directions.

Medicine ball pass

Partner heel tap This also requires a resistance band. Your workout mate lies with face-up. Stand at your partner’s head and then let them bring their feet up into tabletop position – with shins parallel to the floor. Holds both ends of the resistance band and carefully loop the band around your parner’s feet. All through, stand with core tight, knees slightly bent, and arms holding the ends of the band. As you get into position, your partner contracts core, slowly lowers both heels toward the floor, taps heels, and then returns to tabletop position. Ensure that the band is securely looped at the center of your partner’s feet, so it won’t snap back

This exercise is done when you and your partner are lying flat on the floor with feet facing each other and knees bend. You simply grab the medicine ball and stand several feet in front of your partner your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the medicine ball with both hands in front of your chest and then step forward with one leg and forcefully pass the ball to your partner by pushing the ball away from your chest. With both of you having hands in the air perform sit-ups passing the medicine ball back and forth.

As the name suggests, triceps kickbacks mainly work your triceps, which is the big muscle that runs along the back of your upper arm. This exercise also strengthens the auxiliary muscles that help your hand movement. Stand facing your partner with knees slightly bent, hips back, and core engaged.

Both of you COURTESY

L

should be holding one end of a resistance band on the same side, that is with right hand for one partner, left hand for the other. Both of you will then bend slightly at the waist, with the core engaged, and extend the arm simultaneously, using your tricep to pull the band away from your partner. Go ahead and relax the arm and return to the starting position to complete the movement.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

57

books winnie makena

One Day in December pressed on Love Mode

F

ascinating, thrilling and exciting is this season’s fresh collection, a reader’s collection that will keep your Christmas season spiced and dazzled.

Milkman: A Novel Author: Anna Burns Middle sister has a way of standing out, even though all she wants is to blend in.

When a local paramilitary figure known as “The Milkman” starts pursuing her, she tries to avoid him, amidst rumors as the threat of violence lingers. In this wry, eye-opening book, we see how inaction can have big repercussions.

One Day in December: A Novel Author: Josie Silver Laurie didn’t believe in love at first sight — until she laid eyes on Jack. She sees him on a bus, but before she can speak, it drives away. She looks for him everywhere, only to be formally introduced to him six months later as her best friend’s new boyfriend.

What follows is a decade of friendship, heartbreak, bad timing and “destinies reconsidered.” After all the ups and downs, will fate bring Laurie and Jack together in the end? In this heartwarming book, the reader tags along with three friends on a windy road to romance.

Look Alive Twenty-Five: A Stephanie Plum Novel Author: Janet Evanovich If you’re looking for a great sandwich, it’s tough to beat the Red River Deli in Trenton.

You might not want to work there, though, because over the last couple of months, three of the store’s managers have mysteriously disappeared. Police are baffled, but Stephanie Plum is on the case.

She steps in as the new manager of the Red River Deli, but will she figure out what’s going on or be the next employee to disappear?

The Adults Author: Caroline Hulse Claire and Matt are no longer together, but decide it would be best for their daughter, Scarlett, to have a “normal” family Christmas; four adults, two exes, one child, one imaginary rabbit, one holiday lodge,

58

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

Magical Christmas time. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a kind of “Christmas adjacent” book.

It has all the fixings of a fiction book you might read any other day of the year, but with the added bonus of being set in the holiday season. The description reminds me of a light-hearted combination of The Nest and Big Little Lies.

Love à la Mode Author: Stephanie Kate Strohm Two American teen chefs meet in Paris while attending Denis Laurent’s prestigious cooking school. While they’re both overjoyed at the opportunity to learn from the best, they find themselves overwhelmed by the competitive nature of the program. In this young adult novel, love finds a way, and these teenage cooks fall madly for food, France and each other.

No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters Author: Ursula K. Le Guin As the title suggests, the subject of this book is thinking, thinking about what matters in the world, which is what Ursula K. Le Guin has been doing. She’s written down these thoughts in the form of dispatches—buzzing, meaning-laden observations about concerns, hopes, and the unceasing wonder of this world we inhabit. On the absurdity of denying your age, she says, If I’m 90 and believe I’m 45, I’m headed for a very bad time trying to get out of the bathtub. And on breakfast: Eating an egg from the shell takes not only practice, but resolution, even courage, possibly willingness to commit crime.

One Day in December: Quote “I know how painful it can be letting someone you think you love go, but that I don’t believe there’s only one person in the world for each of us.

It’s too fanciful, too limiting.”

— Josie Silver, One Day in December

movies -winnie makena

HUSTLERS Cast: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Cardi B, Genre(s): Comedy, Crime, Drama Directed by: Lorene Scafaria In Theatres: December 6, 2019 Inspired by the viral New York Magazine article The hustlers at score, Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.

JUMANJI 2

3D AX M I IX ODE S I EP RS: A RW STA Cast: Billie Lourd, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Fantasy Directed by: J.J. Abrams In Theatres: December 20, 2019 Also known as The Rise of Skywalker. A year after the events of The Last Jedi, the remnants of the Resistance face the First Order once again, while reckoning with the past and their own inner turmoil. Meanwhile, the ancient conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its climax, altogether bringing the Skywalker saga to a definitive end.

Cast: Karen Gillan, Dwayne Johnson, Madison Iseman Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Comedy Directed by: Jake Kasdan In Theatres: December 13, 2019 A team of friends return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, but discover nothing is as they expect. The players need to brave parts unknown, from arid deserts to snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

CATS Cast: Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, Rebel Wilson Genre(s): Animation, Comedy, Drama Directed by: Tom Hooper In Theatres: December 20, 2019 Over the course of a single night, a tribe of cats called the Jellicles make what is known as “the Jellicle choice” and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

Spies in Disguise Cast: Karen Gillan, Will Smith, Tom Holland Genre(s): Animation, Action, Adventure Directed by: Nick Bruno, Troy Quane In Theatres: December 25, 2019 The world’s best spy Lance Sterling ingests Beckett’s experimental work and turns into a pigeon. He must now find out how he can save the world from cybernetic madman Tristan McFord while being such a small animal.

COURTESY

Little WOMAN Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson Genre(s): Drama, Romance Directed by: Greta Gerwig In Theatres: December 25, 2019 The beloved story of the March sisters, four young women each determined to live life on her own terms, is both timeless and timely.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

59

boots and balls — Tom Reynold — BBC Sport

Kipchoge: The man, the methods and controversies behind ‘moon-landing moment’

A

week before the big day, in the middle of the night, Eliud Kipchoge was fast asleep at his training base in the hills of Kenya.

The greatest male distance runner of all time would soon be launching his second attempt at making history - at becoming the first person to run a marathon in under two hours. All his preparations had gone to plan.

But 3,500 miles away in Austria, American scientist Robby Ketchell was woken by a nightmare at 3am. He was so unsettled that he jumped out of bed and hotfooted it 3km across Vienna.

Ketchell was desperate to check nobody was trespassing on a small roundabout that had been his second home for the past two weeks. For the next four hours until sunrise, he kept a one-man watch over this hump in the road - a pivotal piece in the complicated jigsaw of Kipchoge’s 1:59 Challenge.

Why? As a data scientist Ketchell has helped Team Ineos (formerly Team Sky) win three Tours de France. He is a man wellschooled in sport’s one percent advantages the so-called marginal gains.

The roundabout was a three percenter. The presence of a historic building in its centre meant that the road had been designed with a –two percent camber. Good for taking rainwater away from a tourist attraction, terrible for a marathon runner trying to make an about turn while travelling at 13mph.

Ketchell’s solution was to dig up the roundabout and start again, turning the –two percent camber into a plus one percent one.

His design took two weeks for local workers to complete - “they thought I was nuts” - before it was undone and returned to normal 12 days later.

On the face of it, running is one of the purest and simplest sports on the planet.

Kipchoge’s sub two-hour marathon was anything but.

For Sir Dave Brailsford, the story began during the first week of May’s Giro d’Italia.

By day Team Ineos’ cycling boss was

60

making sure the first Grand Tour since a switch from Sky’s backing went smoothly. By night he was studying into the small hours, learning as much as he could about marathon running.

“It was a real deep dive,” he says. “This sounds a bit geekish but I read quite a lot about how you can educate yourself quickly and learn fast.”

A month earlier Brailsford had been asked by his new boss, Ineos chief executive and Britain’s richest person Jim Ratcliffe, whether he would take on a role as CEO of Kipchoge’s attempt.

Taking on such a massive project (between 300-400 people worked on it) during a hectic summer of professional cycling would have been a lot for anyone. But Brailsford also had another issue to contend with far closer to home.

“I found out that I’d got cancer around March, which I wasn’t expecting,” he says.

“When Jim asked me it was kind of ‘take a deep breath’ because this is going to be a lot of time and commitment. What was exciting about it was that I’m normally involved in trying to win races or winning Olympic medals.

But this felt like a fairly unique opportunity.

First of all it was in a different sport, which was really appealing, and it was a landmark in making history rather than just winning a race.”

notoriously simple - and humble

And so, with the help of a self-help journal he penned along the way, Brailsford agreed to take on a workload that he now acknowledges was absurd.

“I worked really, really hard on it from April time onwards. Through June, through the Tour de France,” he says. “I look back now and think I was ridiculous, I really do. I behaved in a ridiculous way - it’s quite embarrassing really looking back. I got myself a book to write in about the experience [of cancer] Back in Kenya, Kipchoge was beginning a journal of his own - a training log for the biggest challenge of his life. In it was absolutely nothing new.

The 34-year-old’s methods are notoriously simple - and humble. Despite his multi-millionaire status, for nearly 300 days a year he lives and trains away from his wife and three children at a training centre in Kaptagat, a tiny village in the Kenyan highlands.

He is known as the “boss man” by his running partners but that doesn’t stop him

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

cleaning the toilets or doing his share of the daily chores. He lives by the mantra: “Living simply sets you free.”

As Kipchoge told me in April: “You run, eat, sleep, walk around - that’s how life is. You don’t get complicated. The moment you get complicated it distracts your mind.”

For the 1:59 Challenge team, the biggest question was: Which athlete could produce a modern-day Roger Bannister moment?

The answer was a total no-brainer. Only one: Eliud Kipchoge. The undisputed GOAT of marathon running. The world record holder, Olympic champion and winner of 11 of his 12 marathon races. And, more crucially, the man with experience of the incredible individual pressure that comes with running a specially organised marathon whose sole focus is to go where no-one has gone before.

One of Kipchoge’s biggest complaints about the Breaking2 attempt was the lack of crowds. The search continued, and in early June the planning team arrived in Vienna - specifically a tree-lined road called the Hauptallee that runs through Prater Park. It was love at first sight. The other way the issue was managed was more intuitive. Kipchoge moved slightly out of formation every time he felt he was starting to overheat. A human touch in sync with meticulous planning and so much technology. A few metres ahead of Kipchoge was a car that could adjust its speed to within 0.1 kmh. It had lasers to let him and the pacers know they were on target.

But arguably more important to Kipchoge was the man alongside him using pedal power to stay by his side throughout the full 26.2 miles. That man was Kipchoge’s manager Trouw. Trouw hails from the Netherlands. He worked for an insurance company and coached ice skating before joining the sports agency Global Sports Communication. He has been a trusted confidant of Kipchoge ever since he began working with him in 2003.

The pair had breakfast together on the morning of the attempt - “Eliud had oatmeal with banana and honey, it’s his treat on race day, the only time he eats it” - and were inseparable during the marathon itself. Trouw was there, pedalling alongside Kipchoge, a task made more difficult than it sounds by the phalanx of pacemakers around him.

“What running is to the Kenyan people, cycling is to the Dutch,” he says. “It wasn’t a problem.”

As well as handing over water bottles, when you watch the race footage it appears like the Dutchman is delivering high-tech advice from a laptop mounted to his handlebars.

In fact, Trouw’s methods were much more old school. “So many people have asked me

people who could have been touching their eyes, ears, mouth.

“So we introduced the fist bump instead, which they weren’t too sure about at first but we made a joke out of it and soon everybody was doing it. That and a lot of hand sanitisers.”

running on a trampoline

Such attention to detail appealed to Kipchoge. He spent much of race week relaxing in his room reading a self-help book called First Things First. “It’s about getting your priorities right,” he says, speaking on the phone from his home in Kenya.

Kipchoge’s priority in Vienna was to run under two hours whatever it took. That singular ambition causes him to bristle when I bring up the post-race fall-out over his new Nike trainers.

Kipchoge’s record-breaking run was one part of a marathon masterclass over that October weekend which also featured his compatriot Brigid Kosgei breaking Paula Radcliffe’s women’s marathon world record by 81 seconds in Chicago. The common denominator in both those records? Nike’s Vaporfly Next% shoe.

American Jake Riley also wore the shoes in Chicago and compared the experience to “running on a trampoline”.

“That’s a big lie,” is Kipchoge’s unequivocal response. “The world is moving so you can’t complain.”

The Kenyan is equally combative regarding the juxtaposition between his assertion that “no human is limited” and the matter of Nike’s new trainers costing £240.

“When something is good it needs to be expensive,” he says.

For Kipchoge, the question of how he achieved his “moon-landing moment” boils down to hard work, not the carbon-fibre plate in his shoes.

“If you are not training, you can’t run fast,” he says. “If you are not fit enough, you can’t run fast.”

Brailsford nods knowingly when our conversation turns to footwear. Throughout his cycling successes on the track and the road there has often been sniping over the latest marginal gain. At the London 2012 Olympics the

COURTESY

what I was doing with the laptop on my handlebars,” he laughs.

“But in fact it was just a mount so that I could put a piece of paper on the handlebars with the split times Eliud needed to run on them.

“We had an incredible team of scientists. But I am still very old fashioned. I believe 100% in the human touch. Obviously Eliud could see from the pace car that he was running on pace but I was just able to offer some reassurance.”

Trouw’s human touch means he is also in tune with another of the intangibles that helped propel Kipchoge towards making history on 12 October. The impact of the crowd.

Spending time in the company of Kipchoge is a serene experience. Except when you mention his shoes - more of which later.

It is difficult to imagine him complaining about anything, but the sparse crowds at the Breaking2 project in Monza was a source of frustration. There was no such issue in Vienna - and Trouw is convinced it was a factor in Kipchoge making history.

“New asphalt (on the roundabout) is nice and makes a huge difference of course but the crowd (an estimated 120,000 people lined the route) was also an energy that you can’t measure,” he says.

“Eliud was feeling that energy on the day and in the days building up to it. When he went on his morning run at 7am every day in Vienna there were people waiting for autographs who had travelled from Ecuador, Colombia, all over the world. One person said to him: ‘I really hope the attempt is on Saturday because I can’t afford to stay any longer.’ Those interactions make a difference.”

Human interactions were not all good news as far as the 1:59 Challenge crew were concerned.

“In Kenyan culture people shake hands all the time,” Trouw says. “If we had met an hour ago and see each other again we would shake hands. Obviously that brings an advantage in terms of the social atmosphere within the pacemakers team, for example, but also the big downside of shaking hands with

French famously accused Britain - who won seven of the 10 track cycling gold medals on offer - of having “magic wheels”.

When I mention a newspaper article that suggests Kipchoge’s feat “belonged not in the realm of sport but in the related field of science-assisted human performance”, he quickly hits back.

“That’s what all sport is,” Brailsford says. “Show me a world-class team that hasn’t got a sports science department. I don’t know what sport they are watching. Rugby, World Cup football, Formula 1, any kind of human endeavour everyone is using sports science. You wouldn’t win without it.”

And with that, Brailsford hits on the essence of the 1:59 Challenge. The multi-layered assistance ranging from roundabouts to pacemakers meant Kipchoge’s run could not be counted as a world record. But, as Brailsford’s animated face describes, it was a victory - make no mistake.

“Going into that environment

in the performance operation centre was like going into an Olympic final,” he says.

“I really did try and absorb it because when you are told you have got cancer and you don’t know what’s going to happen it does make you change your perspective and you do realise you should live a bit more for the day.

“I am always thinking of the next thing and the next thing and the next thing so I did sit down and think: ‘Wow, I’m so proud to have been involved in that.’ It was just sensational. I’ll never forget it.

The way he ran down the last kilometre… we had three or four options for the final depending on how Eliud was feeling and he came in in our best scenario. It was perfect.”

Whether it represented perfection for Kipchoge is a matter of conjecture.

On a personal level it certainly couldn’t have been better. He covered the 26.2 miles (42.2km) in one hour 59 minutes 40 seconds, with his wife and three children watching him in the flesh for the first time.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

61

games - boniface mithika

Gaming

Xmas

s, at mean ! And th ! e e p ip Y gaming ay time… t’s holid r some serious fo e it’s tim

I

One, PC 4, Xbox S P e set in e c ideo gam es as v esistan r R e t r: o o t o a sh serv Termin t-person os Angeles and rs fi a is L This 028 inator alyptic 2 ameron’s Term ) and c o p a t 84 pos es C inator (19 re el to Jam a prequ films: The Term y (1991). You a ter, a c e D is ra t h a n gme w ch franc or 2: Jud the role of a ne nnor-led t a in rm Te Co on killing to take the John required ers, a soldier in Skynet’s robotic t iv Jacob R sistance agains n re n a of actio m u h hat kind nal of w . s e e s o in o h ch rse mac n epic a have to You will t to be, equip a eak and snipe o n n wa or s u try t hero you to run and gun ents while yo m ry n weapon prawling enviro ind. s nk through e fate of huma h t e PC) g n cha Stadia, d enesis ( G : hack an rs e p-down here o Darksid t a is )w esis ers: Gen ying game (RPG between Darksid h la c p it le w s ro tion pistols u can slash ac ut the game yo . Strife uses his atively, e o rn through War at any tim aos Eater. Alte ode h d m n C , a p o rd fe o ri o t w c S es a s e in a s m u a r g a the e f W h o while f one play t ers can king the role o d enough y la p o ta tw kille h player ilities, yer has with eac . Once the pla to use burst ab icker. u ers d charact they are allowe own enemies q rned d , ea s e k e ie a b t m n e o a t n c e m ls, which ou. llow the which a currency is sou spawn before y l e il The gam nemies that w e by killing

62

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine

DEAL

Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection (Switch) The Rebel Collection brings two action-packed games all single-player DLC. The two games Include Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Rogue. In Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, you are expected to become the most feared pirate in the Caribbean while you take part in an award-winning naval experience and explore a massive open world. In Assassin’s Creed Rogue, you become the ultimate assassin hunter and play as a Templar for the first time in the franchise history. The new experience brings about enhanced features like Handheld Mode, HD Rumble, Touch

Screen Interface, and Motion Control Aiming.

Ashen (PlayStation 4, Switch) Ashen is an open world co-op action RPG about a wanderer in search of a place to call home. As you adventure through Ashen, you’ll occasionally encounter other players in a massive open world, akin to the passive multiplayer of Journey. It’s up to you to decide how to deal with them - fight together against evil, invite them into your party or simply ignore them. Ashen is faithful to the “souls” genre of stamina-based combat, introducing players to a punishing yet satisfyingly vast world. But here’s the twist - no two gameplay experiences are alike. Whether you’re exploring bogs, investigating a fjord or pillaging an old palace, where you are at any given moment will dramatically alter the course of your adventure. It’s a brutal open world; you’re just living in it.

Don’t Die, Minerva! [PC, XBOX] This is a rogue-like action RPG set in a haunted house. Armed with a flashlight and a backpack full of friendly stuffed animals that are brought to life by the house’s magic, Minerva, an 11-year-old discovers the haunted house deep on the woods. And before she knows it, she is in the fight of her life. You must help her survive the adventure and protect her from the spooky rogue-lite features heaps of procedural dungeons, ghosts, and loot.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey [PS4, XBO] Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is a third-person survival game developed by Panache Digital Games. In the game, players control a member of a primate clan and have to manage the player character’s health by eating, drinking, and sleeping. The game starts in an African jungle, an open world filled with threats. Players can climb any tree in the jungle, though the player will break bones if he/she falls down. As players progress, new areas are opened up for players to explore. When a primate is exploring new locations or being hunted by predators, it will enter a state of “fear”, which can be overcome by finding glowing orbs of light, or else it will descend into a state of hysteria. Your goal is to ensure the primate clan’s survival as it slowly evolves and becomes a new species.

pulser magazine DECEMBER 2019

63

COURTESY

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - PC This Battle Tech game is set in 3015 during the final decade of the Third Succession War, casting the player as a rookie mercenary MechWarrior rising from the ashes of a demolished mercenary unit. You are able to accept contracts from the various factions available in this time period whose campaign goes all the way up to 3049, just before the Clan Invasion. This is the first single player MechWarrior game since 2002.

64

DECEMBER 2019 pulser magazine