On Point January - April 2014
Black is Beautiful?
The trend of Having a fanta face and cola legs
The Dreaded C-section Filling the Food Gap
THE NAIROBIAN NEED OF THE MEXICAN
Movies, events, and new trends!
The Tazara Train
A Journey between Nairobi and Zambia On Point April 2014
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On Point
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On Point Team & Partners
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Editor’s note
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What’s been Happening
10 Social Trend 14 Health Issue 18 Fashion Update 20 Round Up in Entertainment 22 Feature 26 10 Things You Didn’t Know About...
In this issue
28 How To...
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KikoRomeo On Point April 2014
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On Point Magazine
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Salomé Marchal
Partners KikoRomeo www.kikoromeo.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR Shaffie Godana CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lydia Berigena Alexander Roberts Allegra Itambala Beryl Samba DIGITAL INTERN Don Agiro
Nivea www.nivea.com
Kitkat www.kitkat.com
PHOTOGRAPHER Mario Amaya Address: P.O. Box 14634-00800, Thika Road, Kasarani, Nairobi Tel: +254712532184 Email: marchal.cecilia@gmail.com Website: www.onpointmagazine.co.ke
Sky Vodka www.skyvodka.com
Copyright © 2014 by Salomé Marchal No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. All rights reserved. 4
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Unicef www.unicef.fi
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editor’s note
Hello everyone,
Karibu
I am proud to present to you the first edition of this magazine, created very recently. In this very unique copy, you will find stories on Nairobi trends and social lifestyles. We chose during this semester to cover skin bleaching as it is rapidly spreading through young generations in urban Africa; also we immerged ourselves in the new food trend of the city: Mexican cuisine, which is growing fast in Nairobi and present in half of Java’s menu. For the health issue, we got a very interesting story of a lived experience of the C-section. Nowadays-new methods have emerged to help women conceive and deliver, and this one has been very recurrent amongst mothers giving birth. After reading about it, I realized it gave me an insight on the issue that I didn’t have before. Sometimes in many cases the labor presents more difficulties than predicted, and women who thought would not have an issue on giving birth naturally find themselves obligated to undergo the C-section operation. In this issue we also brought to you the most recent fashion trends and entertainment, featuring the big movies of 2014. Among them, there is 300: The rise of an Empire, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and many more. I particularly was looking forward to the season 4 of Game of Thrones, which premiered in Paris in the beginning of April. The new season has started off with a kick, and the show has gained a huge fan base ever since the last seasons shocked and excited the viewers with an epic wedding and horrible deaths. The plots and intrigues have made it a show widely expected by all. We are all eagerly waiting for the rest of the season to come.
In fashion, we researched the most popular trends in Nairobi that have recently appeared. I love to see young people create their own style and remain modern yet attached to their roots. So many trends have bloomed since last winter, but mostly this spring too. I personally love the new styles coming out this year. In one of our pieces we also cover the new trend of how to take care of your natural hair. The trend is also on the rise, somehow complementing the fashion perhaps, but many young people nowadays prefer to switch to their natural hair and let it grow, rather than shaving it or putting on weaves. Of course the more the hair, the more the effort it takes to keep it in great shape and health. Finally, our feature piece is about travel across Africa through train, something that most people forget about or don’t know about, but I hope you read about it, and also look forward to embarking on an adventurous journey outside of Nairobi. Not only this magazine covers trends within Nairobi but also outside that connect to the city. I dedicate this magazine to Nairobians who want to read about culture and all kinds of life and trend topics, who embrace their African roots, and want the magazine to reflect on a strong reality of modern youth and diversity. I hope you all enjoy this first appearance of On Point, complemented by a newly added website that we are still updating, for you to get a hold of the magazine on an online platform, and share your thoughts with us. Enjoy your day,
ADVERT
Salome Marchal
Editor-in-chief
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ust like global weather patterns, Kenya’s clubbing climate is transforming into something great and powerful. The driving force behind this change is Kenya Nights, the home of the underground Techno movement in Kenya. By bringing in industry game-changers from the international circuit and targeting smaller and higher quality audiences, the boys and girls at Kenya Nights are changing the clubbing landscape of our country, for the better. For their first offering in the 2014 season, a select few had the honour of witnessing international electronic superstar DIPLO as he graced the turntables in Kenya for the very first time. With a proven track record under his belt of chart-toppers such as M.I.A.’s Paper Planes, or Major Lazer’s Pon De Floor, DIPLO has a very distinct electronic sound that gels with the Kenyan Electronic scene in many ways. He has scooped several prestigious Music awards and in 2013 he received a Grammy award nomination for “Producer Of The Year”, a true pioneer in his field. The famous DJ performed at Tree House Club this February.
Happening WHAT’S BEEN L
upita Nyong’o has been lying low since winning Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. That changed when the 12 Years a Slave star attended Marie Claire’s Fresh Faces party at West Hollywood’s Soho House. She posed for photos with fellow May 2014 cover girls Elle Fanning and Kate Mara. Nyong’o, 31, looked predictably fashionable at Tuesday’s event, donning a Giambattista Valli Couture dress, Christian Louboutin shoes and Graziela Gems jewels. She carried a Judith Leiber clutch. She was a veritable awards-season Cinderella. In only a few short months, Lupita Nyong’o went from being a complete unknown to a red-carpet princess, applauded for both her impeccable fashion sense and her undeniable acting abilities. The 31-year-old triumphed at the 86th Academy Awards, where she was awarded the Oscar as best supporting actress for her unflinching performance as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave. She is now representing the french perfume house Lancôme, joining the ranks of many other actresses and models. 8
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uditions for premium models for Strut It Afrika in Kenya started on Saturday 25 of January, at the Secrets Lounge from 10.00am – 4.00pm. Strut It Afrika Fashion Week 2014 features an S.I.A Festival for a whole month. Auditions have already been conducted in Nairobi, up next are Mombasa, Burundi, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. Flooding the audition ground were gorgeous damsels of different shades and color. Very popular in East Africa, yet not so well known in other parts of Africa, Strut It Afrika is a very popular fashion week that occurs in Kenya along side 3 other fashion weeks. Over a 1000 people turned up. It was certain that the numbers exceeded that of the usual auditions. The Strut It Afrika Fashion Week in Nairobi is a platform that aims at highlighting rich culture through celebrating African heritage by bringing together fashion, art and dance. The Strut It Afrika Fashion Week modeling event incorporates an art exhibition in addition to the model runway shows in Kenya. The main goal of the Fashion Week in Africa is to create a mobile fashion week, a modeling event that is held in a different African country every consecutive year that in turn will help in strengthening links and bonds in the African region and boost exchange of culture in terms of fashion, art and dance and thus nurture economic development.
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his year’s Valentine’s day was hyped with all kinds of romantic events, ranging from amazing dinners at fancy hotels, to chocolate duo massages offered by SPAs. Mvuli hotels presented great deals for couples to come and celebrate their love, enjoying good wine and food themed for the evening. This February 14th, 2014, Amos and Josh, Anto-NeoSoul, Harry Kimani plus more hosted a dinner party at the Intercontinental Hotel that also featured celebrities, business people and Cooperate executives. This event, titled Love Letters, attracted about 500 individuals from the music industry, business industry and the corporate world. The night was all about Love from the 60’s, through to date, it was a proper valentine treat for Individual and Couples with soothing songs and sumptuous dinner from the Intercontinental Hotel. On Point April 2014
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Black is Beautiful?
By Lydia Berigena The use of bleach is recurrent on young women and men in Africa, as a trend that has spread. The darker you are, the less attractive it is? Fanta face with cola legs. Have you heard the phrase before? It essentially describes women who skin bleach. This is the term given to them by the locals in Tanzania. The term can be quite funny to hear at first, as the thought that comes to mind is to have limited sympathy for people who skin bleach, especially if they are Africans or black.
Instead of taking the matter into hands, the media isn’t helping much, not that it usually does with these matters. Nowadays everywhere you look, you can see lighter and lighter skinned women, advertising, television and magazines. “I don’t prejudice against light skinned people, I am light skinned but I disapprove of What is worse is that they do it because society dic- the media making it seems as if the lighter skinned you tates that lighter women are more beautiful. Imagine are, the prettier”, supports another young woman who if Martin Luther King had taken their approach and has countless times been in situations where many urged black people to skin bleach so that they would men are attracted to women because of their skin gain acceptance form Caucasians, instead of standing color. proud. It is not only the media, it is people, let’s say Kenyans: most guys whether they will admit it or not are immediately attracted to light skinned girls. They have that preconception that they are beautiful and sometimes they really are not. More than just culture pushing the trend, it is the influence of media that indoctrinates the mind of young people into thinking that dark skin is not as pretty as white skin. How many adverts have we all seen contain more white people than black? The ratio is still very uneven. Moreover the culture and media is so effective that the skin color represents more than just what it is. Many comments like “White girls are nicer than African chicks” or “white guys are more romantic than
“According to the World Health Organization, 77 per cent of Nigerian women use bleaching creams”.
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Still, is it wrong to feel deeply offended by people who change their skin tone? They willingly damage their skin because the side effects can be horrendous, anything from cancer to atrocious acnes. “They also look ridiculous with their orange faces, black elbows, and kneecaps and feet, they look like they have just stepped out of a deeply racist cartoon”, a student declares.
As Africans, some would advocate being proud of your skin color, no matter what it is; which is why bleaching is a step back from regaining self-confidence as a continent. Skin bleaching is a popular phenomenon especially in developing countries, and it is not limited to women as men are shyly joining this trend. There are many reasons behind the practice, sometimes justified, and sometimes superficial, whatever the case, it is still disconcerting. Slavery left behind a multitude of scars, and one of them is skin bleaching. It left behind a notion that the white come first, and then the mixed raced/ lighter skinned and at the bottom, dark skinned black women and men. So it is disheartening that society which battled racism, still promotes such a backward notion.In the end, some argue that people who bleach have been pushed by culture. It is hard to remain proud when you are bombarded with comments like, “I hope I marry a white person, light skinned children are so beautiful,” or “wow she is beautiful and dark skinned too,” as if it is an unconceivable idea. There is also a medical justification to bleaching, when due to a disease or another, a person’s skin tone becomes uneven.
African men, they treat their ladies better” are skinwhiteningessentialsusa.com phrases that have spread out a lot. The conception of light skin is put in a context of more criteria towards an ideal that makes no sense. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 77 per cent of Nigerian women use bleaching creams. It is a hard reality to accept.
There is no excuse for bleaching. It is degrading as a human, a black person and a woman or man. You have to accept who you are. Instead of being the hypocrite screaming, “black is beautiful!” while only your hands and feet are dark and the rest of you is bleached. Changing ourselves as African people, gaining respect, regaining our culture starts with mending the small things, one of them is skin bleaching. Maybe one of the starting points would be to forget about different skin tones like if they didn’t exist. Why make a simple pigment of the skin a huge part of how society is visualized? Seeing things differently changes more than we can imagine. On Point April 2014
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Filling a Food Gap: The Nairobian Need Of the Mexican By Alex Roberts
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airobi does not hold the reputation as a great city of restaurants, restauranteurs, foodies or five-star chefs; but that reputation may be rapidly changing. Now more than ever, this mini international melting pot in East Africa might springboard suddenly towards an international attraction of culinary sites. There is however, a shocking lapse in the food culture of this town; one that leaves out an entire wealth of food that would seemingly suit Kenyan palates to the letter.
First of all the market is built in; ex-pat types (especially the droves of Americans that work in NGO’s) simply are addicted to tacos. Make a good one, and they’ll come to you; mindless drones driven by a love of the south of the border. One would be unwise to underestimate a potential Kenyan feeding frenzy as well. Guacamole; made by mashing ripe avocados. Some recipes call for tomato, onion, garlic, lemon juice, chili, yogurt and/or additional seasonings and crisps on the side.
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The cuisines can be quite similar, kachumbari is basically salsa, good ugali tastes exactly like a corn tortilla or tamale. Most crucially, what self-respecting Kenyan doesn’t love a good beef-fry (something that tastes a shocking amount like a beef fajita)? The impact would be immediate and ridiculous. Mexican food could simply put become the next major trend of Nairobi food culture, if only ever given a good opportunity to do so. Even that simplest of food devices; a lowly food truck could turn an entire market on it’s collective ear from the first portion plated. Such a phenomenon would need only to be properly positioned. Even in the dead of the night, drunken revelers would stumble towards a neon light that shines brilliantly through a haze of whiskey, putting forth one gorgeous word, TACOS. I must admit that I would happily join them. So who will rise to occasion first? Thus far, the Mexican situation in this town is devastatingly dim. Someone should turn on the light. Eatout.co.ke, the useful website to track down all kinds of restaurants in Nairobi
Of course, this food is Mexican. There just simply isn’t a good spot anywhere in this town! Yes, of course one exists in some random Centre building in a little explored Burrito: consists of a wheat flour tortilla wrapped or folded into a cylindrical shape to completely area of Westlands, but having been there enclose the filling, which generally includes a combination of ingredients such as Mexican-style rice or plain rice, refried beans or beans, lettuce, salsa, meat, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream. one would definetley leave the Tacos: traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling of including location unexplored. beef, pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. Often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes, minced meat, onions and lettuce.
There is little flavor, little portions, no atmosphere and at nearly 1,000 a plate; no reason to go there. However, if some kind of cruel and horrible genius could rise up and fill this inexplicable culinary canyon, the results would be immediate and huge. Photos: Mario Amaya
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The dreaded C-section By Beryl Samba
Beryl was pregnant last year and delivered a beautiful baby girl named Lilou. The difficult part of delivering this time is a new technique currently rising amongst women giving birth: the C-section. It occurs often nowadays and it is usually mothers who thought they would never give birth through C-section who actually go through the operation. Beryl shares with us her feelings through that period and gives us insight on the procedure.
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hen pregnant, the last thing you would expect would be to have is a Caesarean section (C-Section). Being healthy, young and according to what seasoned women well versed in the art of giving birth said, the likelihood of having a C-Section was very slim on this case. When a woman is pregnant, the baby becomes her first priority: to make sure the delivery goes well, a future mother is ready to do anything and to know everything. Health for the mother is key as it is directly linked to the child’s. I on my part decided to help nature along and I did as much as possible to eliminate the possibility of a C-section. I would walk for at least 20 minutes every day and in a week I would cover at least 3 kilometres on foot. The time and the kilometres may not add up because the more pregnant you become the slower you walk. It is natural for many women not to look forward to go under the surgeon’s knife. During all my check-ups my gynaecologist told me all was well and we were both positive that I would have a normal delivery. I was especially keen on a normal delivery because the healing process is faster and less complicated. This was important to me because I was to deliver early to mid December 2013 and I was keen on going back to school in January 2014. I was scheduled to graduate on August 2014 and a C-section could mean that I may have to take a semester break pushing my graduation date to August 2015. Contrary to what many people don’t know is that a C-section is a
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major operation and one requires recovering fully before going back to their normal activities. Also a C-section is an expensive affair at M-Pshah where i was booked for delivery the operation can go as high as 250,000Ksh. Whereas at hospitals such as Nairobi Hospital and Aga Khan University Hospital it can be as expensive as Ksh 500,000. In comparison if I were to have a normal delivery it would cost me at most Ksh 100,000.
My pregnancy progressed perfectly and as my due date got closer and closer i was filled with a host of feelings that ranged from utter fear to pure unaltered excitement. My first due date came and went without any sign of labour, much to my disappointment because I was tired of being pregnant.
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Every day after that seemed like the longest day of my life. Till now I pity every pregnant woman because those last days of pregnancy are the toughest. It doesn’t help that every text and phone call that an expectant mother would get on those last days will be of someone on the other end of the line asking if the baby has come. Luckily I didn’t have to wait for too long because 5 days later I felt the tell tale signs of labour. The day I had waited for, for nine whole months was finally here. I prepared myself and went to hospital. When I went to hospital I was examined and I was told that I was 2 cm dilated. For a woman to deliver she has to be 10 cm dilated. And thus my labour journey began. 28 hours later I was at 10cm and I was ready for delivery. I was so happy that I would deliver normally, because in as much as I had laboured for a very long time there was no reason for me to go under the surgeon’s knife. Despite not having eaten for the past 11hours someway somehow I had enough energy to push. I pushed for almost 1 and a half hours and there was no baby. That is when my doctor declared that I would have to go for a C-section. I couldn’t believe it! But I was in so much pain I just wanted it to end.
Here is Beryl with baby Lilou, right after the surgery. She is resting while the newborn is sleeping close to her mom
The reasons for an unplanned C-section are varied and they include, a labor that is slow and hard or stops completely, The baby shows signs of distress such as a very fast or slow heart rate, a problem with the placenta or umbilical cord puts the baby at risk or the baby is too big to be delivered vaginally.
The other option is having a planned C-section. This is where the mother and the doctor plan in advance due to a variety of reasons such as, the baby is not in a head-down position close to your due date , a problem such as heart disease that could be made I was wheeled to theatre and shortly an anaesthetist worse by the stress of labor, or an infection that you numbed the lower half of my body. I remember feel- could pass to the baby during a vaginal birth, muling very cold and telling my gynaecologist to give me tiple pregnancy or a mother has had a C-section a cute bikini cut. Essentially a C-section is an incision before, and you have the same problem as the initial in a woman’s belly and uterus with the aim of deliver- pregnancy and the doctor thinks labor might cause ing her baby. It can be planned or unplanned in my the scar done in a previous C-section to tear (uterine case. rupture). On Point April 2014
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C-sections have changed a lot from how they were done in the past to how they are done today. In the past a mother would be cut vertically along the lower body. After the two incisions are made one in the tummy and the other in the uterus. The child would be removed and the mother would be stitched up again. After a week or two after the wound has healed the mother would go to the hospital to have the stitches removed. However today a bikini cut is the preferred option done on the lower transverse section of the abdomen. It is more cosmetic. Additionally stitch technology has improved. The stitches made get absorbed into the skin as a result the mother doesn’t have to go to the hospital after she has being discharged. Luckily for me I did not have any major problems after my operation though their risks involved to both the mother and the baby during and after the operation. These risks are, infection of the incision or the uterus, heavy blood loss, blood clots in the mother’s legs or lungs, injury to the mother or baby, problems from the anesthesia, such as nausea, vomiting, and severe headache and breathing problems for the baby if it was delivered before its due date. This is why mothers should only have C-sections only if they must. However there is a new crop of mothers who are negatively referred to as “too posh to push.” This is because of their fear of the pain of labor. However having gone through a long labor the fear is justified though not unbearable. I was glad to say after 30 minutes from when the operation started I finally heard an ear-piercing cry from my daughter. As only my lower body was numbed I was able to see baby Lilou immediately after she was born. 16
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The only problem was I only looked at her and never saw her because I did not have glasses or contact lenses on. To this date my first memory of my daughter is an enormous crown of hair. After another 30 minutes I was stitched up again and I was kept in theatre for another 1 hour for observation after which I wheeled to the ward.
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The first days after the surgery were the toughest. I could not walk in an upright position for almost 3 days. Thereafter the region where the incision was made was tender to touch. However it healed well and dried up very quickly. After 3 days it was dry. But I was warned by medics to be gentle to my body and not to do any major lifting. This is because in as much as the incision looks like it has healed from the inside. The incision to the uterus also has to heal. Every day I got stronger and was feeling better. But I was afraid of wearing clothes with tight waistbands for almost 3 weeks. Also the first long walk I took, 2 weeks post delivery was very hard. Now that I had had a C-section I now had to contemplate if I would take a semester break or not. When I spoke to my gynecologist he said my decision was purely dependent on how I felt. He said in his opinion the wound was healing well. So I eventually decided to go back to school 4 weeks post delivery and it wasn’t as bad as people said. However I took those first two weeks of school very easy, as I felt very tired. But my body started getting used to the drill and by 8 weeks post delivery I can comfortably say I feel like my old self. The incision does not pain and I now do some brisk walking and light jogging in an aim to lose a few pounds gained during delivery that have refused to go. Would I do a C-section again? I am 50-50 on this. The pain of labor is really intense however I am curious enough to want to get a feel of how it must be to deliver normally. On Point April 2014
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A BIT OF
fashion
The leggings, and sometimes jeggins (mix of jeans, and leggings) is also rising in popularity, as some like to wear it like a pair of jeans. It is thinner and exposes more the shape of the body
A little update on fashion: We have all noticed since last year some new trends, more relaxed yet sometimes elegant on the people adopting the style.
the rise of wedge sneakers are found in all kinds of places, from casual wear to even formal wear. Of course the person’s taste shows the difference.
The jumpsuit, or the stylish pajamas, keeps on growing with different kinds of patterns
The beautiful trend of “high low” dresses and even tops is a way to embrace youth and elegance at the same time On the men’s side, during hot weather mostly, the turn up shorts is a casual wear used by young men, sometimes complemented by a simple pair of shoes
One of the most elegant trends of nowadays is the lace and the transparent clothes covered with patterns most often flowery designs. It suits formal wear and evening wear very well, even casual. 18
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Entertainment
Movies & Series this spring
Game of Thrones fans have spent the past nine months poring over every minor update from the set of the fantasy drama. To be fair, there’s plenty to obsess over; after a third season that included several of the series’ most memorable moments — including the long-anticipated Red Wedding — The most downloaded show of all times has set the bar very high. Fortunately, George R.R. Martin’s source material lives up to the task; with major storylines ahead for characters like Tyrion, Jon Snow, and Daenerys, fans have more reason to be excited even more.
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Netflix’s first big gamble on original programming debuts its second season, as newly appointed Vice President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) sets his sights on the Oval Office. As with the first season, Netflix plans to drop all 13 episodes at once, so anyone attuned to the show’s relentlessly cynical view of politics should plan their binge-watch accordingly. After a big shocker in its first episode, House of Cards’ second season settled into a groove that saw Frank Underwood steamrolling all his enemies in his inevitable rise to power. What will be left for him to conquer in season three?
Just when it seemed like legendary Silence of the Lambs baddie Hannibal Lecter had overstayed his welcome, Bryan Fuller managed to breathe new life into the franchise with Hannibal, an impressively original take on the material that casts Mads Mikkelson as the titular cannibal in the years before he gets caught. The second season picks up after the dark coda to season one, which left Special Agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) in unexpectedly dire straits. Hannibal has come back with a second season that’s every bit as dark and distinguished as its first.
The long-awaited sequel to the original Captain America movie will take off from where The Avengers left off, Captain America: The Winter Soldier follows Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow in modernday Washington, D. C., where a looming danger awaits in the form of a mysterious shadow. As Steve Rogers adjusts to the modern world, he also struggles with his inner demons from the past. Chris Evans and Scarlett Johannson reprise their roles as Steve Rogers and Black Widow, respectively, with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. A precedent to the sequel of original The Avengers.
300: Rise of an Empire is the story of how Themistocles persevered and succeeded with great tribulation, in his effort of uniting Greece to overthrow the quintessentially-tattooed and pierced antihero, Xerxes. Xerxes returns as a deity, with a thousand-strong army and a single posse, Artemisia. Rodrigo Santoro recurs as the demi-god Xerxes. Based on the widely-successful graphic novels Xerxes of Frank Miller, the film is directed by Noam Murro and a screenplay by Zack Synder. Set to be released March 2014, 300: Rise of an Empire takes the Greek revolution to the seas, with massive wooden arcs clashing together.
Noah is the grand retelling of the classic Bible story that defied generations, and is arguably the most popular Bible story of all time. When Noah saw visions of an upcoming flood of epic proportions, he started to build a massive ark that will house his family and a pair of every living thing on the planet. Academy Award winner Russell Crowe is Noah, starring alongside a star-studded cast with Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Oscar winner Jeniffer Connelly as Ila, Ham, and Naameh, respectively, Sir Anthony Hopkins is Methuselah. The rain starts pounding April 4.
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The Tazara Train
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A journey between Nairobi and Zambia By Alex Roberts
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here are some things within and around East Africa that the pseudo adventurous traveler simply should not allow themselves to miss. To do so would be an unforgivable transgression against those jealous gods of budget and adventure travel. Do yourself this favor and appease them, and an easy way to do such a thing is to look into the Tazara train, running from Dar Es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia. Be aware however before you get momentarily inspired this is one for the adventure traveler. Preferably the train is for the experienced adventurous traveler; however if you go in with some research to your credit, even the newest road rookie should be able to handle and love this train. It is doubtful, from my personal travel experiences, that I have ever seen a better way to look at the countryside and the spectacular landscape of Southern Tanzania. The view drifts on by your window, ever lazily changing, while you are forced to relax and enjoy it. That is the beauty of the Tazara Train; it takes that notion of travelling as stressful and flips entirely on its head. It’s also a very good value, with prices ranging from 2,500 Kenyan Shilling for 3rd class seats to 6,000 for a first class sleeper.
When I took the train I took the 1st class sleeper, and I’m really glad I did. The rooms are comfortable and beds decent, each coming with a window that you can use to get air into your room effectively. The train leaves Dar es Salaam a few times a week, definitely on Friday. Sometimes the other departures change. The Tazara train is said to take around 36 hours to arrive at the train station in Kapiri Mposhi, but this is typically far from realistic, my trip took closer to 75 hours all told, and every minute of it was great. Like I said this train is not for the faint of heart. To further complicated matters on board the train, the restaurant car nearly always runs out of food. In case of this, try to be prepared, bring enough food and drinking water to last you a couple days. The food loss comes with inevitable delays that will almost surely happen along the way (my longest wait was 18 hours for a goat train). Taking the Tazara Train is an experience of forced relaxation that few travelers get to experience regularly. Take the opportunity to chill out, as there is little else to do. Don’t worry about making it in time.
“The countryside drifts from endless valleys to startling mountain ranges you’ve never heard of, all the while winding through the sleepy villages that dot Tanzania” 22
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a passenger staring out of her wagon. Courtesy of letstravelsomewhere.com
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Photos: courtesy of letstravelsomewhere.com. On the left: the Tazara train going through the East-African region. Above: typical view of the region when staring out of the train.
If you’re smart enough to hop on the Tazara, you’ll be smart enough to not have a flight to catch on the other end. Start watching that scenery go by, it’ll be among the best that you will ever see in your life.
From there it is fairly easily to obtain ferries across Lake Malawi, to wind up either hanging out on the shores of Lake Malawi or continuing on until Mozambique.
The countryside drifts from endless valleys to startling mountain ranges you’ve never heard of, all the while winding through the sleepy villages that dot Tanzania. The sunset I saw about 200 kilometers out of Dar Es Salaam still ranks in my top ten favorites, and I didn’t have to climb a mountain to view it. I simply sat back in bed and stared out the window eagerly as it unfolded before me.
The train also provides a good alternative for reaching various points in Western Tanzania, as Mbeya works as a bit of hub for buses going as far away as Dodoma. Most places in the far north of Zambia can also be accessed by way of the Tazara.
Furthermore, this route is one of the least known and most accessible routes to two countries. If you were to take the train until Mbeya, Tanzania, you can easily hop off and take a bus to the border of Malawi, it usually takes about one and half hours to reach the customs office. 24
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All in all, this will remain one of the most fantastic underrated routes of travel in all of East Africa unless people start to use it. It is an experience that you are very unlikely to forget at any point in your life, just remember to not be too serious on board, and don’t have a deadline on the other end.
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10 things you didn’t know about chocolate 1
Chocolate was first used to make alcoholic beverages. The earliest documented use of chocolate was around 1100 BC. In 2007, archaeologists were able to extract residues from pottery excavated in Puerto Escondido, Honduras where they found remnants of cacao. It seems that long before using cacao beans, the sweet pulp of the chocolate fruit was fermented and used to The Aztecs coined the word make alcoholic beverages. Good thinking. chocolate. It comes from the Aztec word xocolatl, which means “bitter Dark Chocolate can be stored water.” Chocolate was first served as a for 10 years. Dark chocolate stored hot or cold frothy beverage, long before under perfect conditions—at a conit became the ubiquitous break-apart stant temperature of 65 degrees F and bars we know and love today. Moreover 50% humidity—will last for 10 years. Maya and Aztec tribes used cacao beans Also keep it wrapped in foil and then as currency! How would you see that in in sealed plastic. the world today? Buying what you want with...chocolate.
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Heard of Mexican Emperor Montezuma? He drank liquid chocolate before getting busy in his harem. Since chocolate make you feel good, it is considered an aphrodisiac. But while several components in chocolate have been linked to having potential aphrodisiac effects, they get broken down so much that you would need to eat copious amounts of chocolate to feel any effect. By that time, you would probably be sick. Bottom line: the evidence for chocolate acting as an aphrodisiac is nonexistent.
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Here’s another fact. Not just 10 or 50 but chocolate remarkably has over 500 flavors in it! No wonder it tastes so good. Vanilla and strawberry don’t even come close to this figure.
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So who thought of solidifying chocolate? Thank Mexican nuns from the 1700’s as they created and exported the first chocolate product as a fund raiser for their convent.
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Those gory scenes in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’, was all chocolate syrup! Although the scene finishes in about 45 seconds, it took 7 days to get that shot done perfectly! Now that’s a sticky plot!
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Chocolate is like a passionate kiss. Studies have shown that letting chocolate melt in your mouth produces brain and heart rate activity similar to, or in some cases seven times stronger than, that produced with passionate kissing.
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Chocolate does not cause tooth decay. In fact, some ingredients found in chocolate products may actually slow down the tooth-decaying process. For example, milk chocolate’s protein, calcium and phosphate content may provide protective effects on tooth enamel.
Back in 1806, Napoleon tried to freeze out British commerce as a means to win the Napoleonic wars (and take over the world). The result was a disastrous continental blockade that caused the cost of chocolate to skyrocket and left Piedmontese chocolatiers in the lurch. Ever resourceful, chocolatiers in Turin started adding chopped hazelnuts to chocolate to stretch the supply as much as possible. The ensuing deliciousness was a fateful paste dubbed “gianduia.” Over a century later, chocolate again became expensive and scarce due to rationing in Europe during World War II. An Italian pastry maker named Pietro Ferrero once again turned to the mighty hazelnut for salvation in 1946 and created Pasta Gianduja, renamed “Nutella” in 1964. On Point April 2014
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So you have gone through the big chop, now what? By Allegra Itambala
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ately, it is almost impossible to walk around the streets of Nairobi without seeing women with puffy Afros. A custom once frowned upon but now acceptable. Being a natural head I thought I should share some tips that have worked for me. Despite many people finding it difficult to manage African hair, it is actually easy. The most important thing is to love and understand your hair. African hair is extremely thirsty hence it needs constant moisturizing. Moreover, there are several ways in which you can find out exactly what type of hair you have, and know precisely what care it needs. There are at least 3 types of hair, where African hair features in the most curly category. Curls require special attention.
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When it comes to oiling, there a few brands that do a great job, these are: Kera Care, Doo Gro, Africa’s Best and Organics. However you could always opt for cheaper and efficient means. Purchase Shea butter, whether Ghanaian or Sudanese, olive oil, castor oil and almond oil. Always use olive oil last because its main purpose is to seal the nutrients.
There is a myth that hair only grows when it is braided, hair actually grows regardless, and when open it is easier for breakage to occur hence it is important to moisturize it every day. Once in a while it is good to put protective styling like braids but remember to tell the hairdresser not to tighten them too much as it makes the hairline weaker.
Use the castor oil on the night before you wash your hair because it is thick and tends to clog the pores of your scalp, massage through the hair and scalp. Alternatively you could mix it with the olive oil and castor oil to reduce the viscosity.
Once in a while it is okay to try a natural treatment like putting egg whites on your hair for fifteen minutes after washing it, sounds sickening but it actually works, just remember to rinse it off with warm water for the eggs not to cook and use a conditioner that smells good.
Shea butter and castor oil prevent breakage and increase volume, almond oil promotes hair growth and is also used to prevent aging, and olive oil conditions and seals the moisture.
A friend of mine once said that hair is a plant and plants need water to grow, hence your hair needs water, every morning and evening before combing your hair, wet it with water then oil it remember to put olive or coconut oil last because they are sealants. In sum, always remember to moisturize your hair every day, wash it once a week and sleep with a silk scarf or silk pillow cases that are gentle to the hair and prevent breakage. Love your natural African hair and flaunt it.
Others opt to wash their hair once after every two weeks but I suggest once a week, this ensures the pores of the scalp are not clogged up by the oil and actually aids healthy hair growth. You cannot wash your hair thrice a week because this strips the hair off the important oils and dry hair paves way for breakage and thinning. Remember to use shampoos that do not contain sodium laurite sulphate since it is not good for the hair. 28
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