HOW TO BLOG

Blogging can be quite tasking especially for people who are not typical writers.A group of communication graduate students opened bloghttp://mac6030teamawesome.blogspot.com/ an the following is their experience.Enjoy!

THE RENAISSANCE OF THE LOCAL BAR

What happened to local bars actually being local? When I say local, I mean same quality of product at a fair price. Now there is no difference between going to a club in bourgeois Westlands and going to a bar in Nairobi West.

The average person would want to spend not more that Ksh 2,000 on a loose night out and this is when you are feeling philanthropic to have tipped the waitress and the bar keep. What happened to beer being less that Ksh 100 (its not like they are using a new formula to make the stuff) and you are left with some extra cash to buy yourself a pair of socks. Yes, you can shop at a local bar. You can get anything from a nail cutter to a spare tyre from the discomfort of your bar stool.

At a local bar, the method for payment is always post paid. At a club, you pay upfront. I have always hated being asked to pay before I even feel the temperature of my beer bottle. Now, I am begging for it! At a local! I don't want to be caught off guard by a bill that shrivels the testes. Once bitten, twice shy. I had to ask for the manager so that he can explain to me the kind of establishment that he was running. Please, we need these demarcations. Don't entice me to a heavy bill. This girl still wants to go a club afterwards Mr, Manager.

I cringe every time the budget is being read because the only people who are penalized are the consumers of the EABL products in the name of sin tax. Which sin is this that I am committing? The places where these products are sold help people find love, strike multi million deals, escape from their wives and host the occasional 45th birthday party. You can discuss about the most trivial of matters when actually hearing what the other person is saying because the volume of the music is at a respectable level. We like this comfort, but shock on us Local lovers when a police lorry is backed up into the entrance of the establishment and the only way you can go is up with you boxers firmly affixed in your butt crack. Surely! Serikali, which sin is this that I am committing by enjoying my beer slightly after eleven. I am practically in my own house.

And the food, healthy food! Kuku Kienyeji, I maintain that this is the best chicken in the world. even if you bring KFC or McDonalds. Galitos is the only one close. I still await a worthy challenger. Your wife's cooking even! I will be brought some tepid water and a lemon to wash my hands and sizzling hot food just minutes after. Oh, the service. At the club, I just usually die of hunger and all she wants is shots! Jesus, save me! Those smokies outside the club are killing your libido people, even those eggs, eating them with your dirty hands, OUTSIDE the club. Have you no pride!

The last local bar association was interrupted by the police, ofcourse! Most of us have been scared to gather but, mark my words, there is a revolution coming. A renaissance of the local bar. Freedom is coming tomorrow!

Using 10% of the brain

Sunday 10pm, Julie Gichuru, one of Kenya’s most successful lady news anchors is signing off this week’s episode of Sunday Live(a show that airs on Citizen Television) . I am seated on the comfy sofa covered with a warm duvet as I lazily slurp the last sip of a cup of hot delicious chocolate. “Wow, this woman is quite a force to reckon with!”… Oh no! Its 10pm! My brain finally registers the time...I can’t believe the weekend is over…again! ‘I need to use my weekends better’ I mumble as I rush up the stairs into my room to start my ten page assignment due tomorrow. This has become my routine; the sudden realization that I have no time.  Why do I keep doing this? Why do I always seem to not have any time? Tomorrow is Monday, am so tired…it feels like a Friday, sigh!

 I started my graduate studies earlier this year with a lot of enthusiasm. I even attended the ‘not so popular’ orientation, did back to school shopping and made sure all my friends knew that Carol has gone back to school. I am that person who always loved academics. It is my dream to have about three master’s degrees and a doctorate. (My alter ego is laughing so hard at this point.) A dream that seems quite far -fetched at this point, do I realize that I cannot afford to use the same undergraduate script to get through graduate studies?

William James, a popular American philosopher and psychologist stated in the book ‘Energies of men’ that “We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources”. From this, various researchers, analysts, bloggers, rumor mongers and even people who were just trying to sound smart came up with a myth that we only use about 10% of our brains. A movie titled ‘Lucy’ was even released to prove that the average human being uses only 10% of their mental and physical resources.

Lucy Official Trailer #1 (2014) - Scarlett Johansson Movie HD

I pride myself on being an innovative, ambitious, self driven woman of excellence. I am that person who gets things done. My bosses at work are happy with my performance and my teachers in school are not complaining either; All this while using only 10 % of my brain.Did I forget to mention that I work well under pressure? Hold that thought. When I talk of pressure, is this pressure external or is it self-imposed? Mmmmmh, now that’s a tricky question. How can I talk of being able to work well under pressure, yet I piled on all this pressure to myself? Why am I only starting my 10 page assignment at 10pm on a Sunday? Yes I will get my work done. I will deliver the assignment dully completed and well lets be honest…, averagely researched. I will sleep late and wake up tired, on a Monday! I will sluggishly go to work and give my average best… well am tired remember? Doesn’t this mean that I am simply a bad time and resource manager? Ok, I think I should stop there before I lose all the faith people have in me. Remember, I am still the innovative, ambitious and self- driven woman of excellence. But how much more innovative would I be if I utilized my time well? Perhaps we lose the 90% mental capacity while we waste time. We live in a generation that is thoroughly entertained and has time wasting as a hobby. Perhaps if we cut out the entertainment and the waste of time in meaningless engagements, we would be a generation that utilizes 100% of their brain. Imagine the exploits!

By Carolyne Kiambo

ENJOY DON'T ABUSE

By Patrick Mburu.

Thursday, Friday, Sato and others kila siku, are the days that we walevi call a time to reduce stress or  just be merry from the hassles and bustles of life; from school, work, draining relationships (both family and otherwise), to the nearest local pub, favorite bar , minibar or any other alcohol drinking zone.

Alcohol is a social drink, it is drunk for the people to be merry, even Benjamin Franklin once said that  ‘Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. There is a reason why Jesus changed water into wine and not into another nonalcoholic drink, food for thought.

Though you may want a release from everything negative from your life, don’t abuse the drink in front of yah, enjoy it. That is, don’t drink to get drunk simply enjoy the drink, drink for you to remember the events of yesterday, be the person taking photos of other drunk folks, if that’s your thing, be the person who enters a matatu gives 1 K for  a bill of 100 bob, and demands for change, be that guy. History tells that there is no shortage of alcohol but there is limitation in terms of your youthful self. Be drunk yes, but just enough for you not to forget and let life pass you by. Regret, is waking up the next morning and not remembering what happened yesterday, that’s  a couple of hours you won’t  be able to recover. 

Alcohol is meant to be enjoyed, a fun factor with the guys or ladies not a means to a way. Looks at the famous quotes known in Kenya today from Jameson, Jack Daniels, Pilsner, all beers, whiskeys, Gin, brandy and the rest, having them with the pals, is meant to be enjoyed not abused, because who will carry the other except the one who does the enjoying while the rest are abusing and he/she tells the rest how, that celebrity  who bought an entire round of whatever and you missed it, exactly who wants to be the one who is left out when such a conversation is been discussed,  exactly it’s got a bad vibe to it.

So great pals to be, let’s toast to the Easter holiday with a shot of whatever vodka, gin and brandy of your fancy, beer and wine. Cheers , have fun, enjoy alcohol  don’t abuse it.

THE NAIROBI FOOD BUFFET

Let me start by saying I am foodie, as in I love food and I love visiting new places to taste good food up until the day I went to try sea food and damn did I have a shocking realization. That is the day my tongue was so swollen to fit in my mouth and apparently if I stayed any longer my own tongue would have choked me to death, but no worries now I am good now but extremely sad that I will never experiment with oysters and the likes.

Now do not get me wrong I am not bougie, I love class but I like me my "kuku porno " from Mc fry's, but once in a while a girl needs to style up and go have some nice cuisine food, well definitely not sea food. So my dear readers today you will get some tips of choosing a restaurant to visit coz guess what you are what you eat. And just a side bar we foodies don't count calories because chewing is also exercise, just kidding, we walk it out later relax and have some fun now.

1. There are some obvious things like please know what you are planning to have for dinner whether its vegetarian, to Chinese, Italian or even the local joint nyama choma.

2. Proximity, the Kenyan people and anyone I know likes to sip on something grown up at dinner and sometimes it can be a little bit over two glasses and oh no way are we spoiling the fun with the hand of the law up our business. So make sure its close to home and no alco-blow will blow the party away.

3. Space and atmosphere. Do I really need to explain this, when you got out of the house you knew the kind of crowd your feeling like, jazzy soft music or you all the way turn up ratchet, I trust you to get this in control pumpkin.

4. Recommendations and GOOGLE. Oh this are your closest friends as around may be someone is a silent foodie and you sit right next to them. They will definitely have some insight that you don't so don't hold back and if your shy then Google is your friend. Everyone is on the world wide web these days and if they are not and no one is talking about them, hone y don't that is just a call for help.

5. Fun times, just make sure the place has your kind of vibe when you get there and no one said you cannot walk out the minute you smell a ........ I don't want to spoil your appetite.

From one foodie to another
Cheers to a great dinner party
Bernice Wairima

Review: Dr. Organic Products

As the name suggests, Dr. Organic products are a range of organic skincare products that are free from SLS, parabens, perfermes, artifical fragrances, petroleum and paraffin. I’m quite health-conscious and I read the label on all products before I buy. While in a Healthy U store recently, I came across these line of products and of course, my interest peaked. I went home & did some research on the line, liked what I saw, and gathered my coins to go buy them. I’ve been using them for about 2.5 weeks and so far, no complaints whatsoever.

The first thing I put in my cart was the deodorant. I’d wanted to switch to a brand without all those nasty ingredients but didn’t bother looking for one, thinking no-one would bother stocking it. The ingredients in Antiperspirants, particularly Aluminum, have been linked to breast cancer. Although there isn’t conclusive evidence, I’d still rather not take the risk. There are enough sources of cancer in our environment as it is so I’d rather keep my hygiene products as natural as possible. This deodorant won’t stop you from sweating because it’s not an antiperspirant. Sweat is 99% water and it only smells when exposed to bacteria outside the body. That’s where the job of deodorant comes in. It eliminates any potential odor. The first few days of using it, I kept asking my friends to smell me and tell me if I was reeking of body odor. Luckily, I wasn’t. It has a mild smell that’s fresh and didn’t interfere with my perfume. The liquid cream roll is is applied just like regular roll on and I recommend you apply it immediately after your shower, before oiling and dressing, so you can give it time to dry

I recently started Oil pulling (<—please watch this) every morning with Extra Virgin Coconut oil. It’s the first step I took towards a healthy oral routine it was only natural that I follow with another natural product! I’ve had bleeding gums on and off and since I was a kid, my dentist made me use some horrible toothpaste called Paradontax. Even though it worked, I seriously hated everything about it! Since I started this routine, I haven’t bled even once and it’s been almost 3 weeks! The toothpaste has a pleasant taste, a nice texture, and although it doesn’t foam as much as regular toothpaste, my teeth and mouth feel really clean and it leaves my breath fresh

Their shampoo also comes without the nasty stuff. I’ve been using regular shampoos since I started growing my hair back after the Mohawk I did 2 years back, coz I couldn’t find Sulphate and paraben-free ones anywhere. I hated shampoo days as my already dry hair always felt even more dry and stripped afterwards. I’m so used to nice smelling shampoos that foam like crazy so I’ll have to get used to this one as it smells just okay and doesn’t foam a lot (due to lack of SLS). It cleaned my hair and scalp well and didn’t leave my hair feeling dry which is what I was looking for. Next time I use it, I’ll put a small amount it in a bottle with a nozzle and mix it with a little water so I don’t end up using as much as I did the first time

Thanks for reading,

With Love,

GLADYS 

The Kenyan Metrosexual Man

    Remember the days when the salon was the preserve of women alone? Not anymore. There is a growing number of male customers in the salons and spas in Kenya with proprietors of these businesses changing fast to accommodate the newcomers.

    For the guys, this is commendable and the Eves do appreciate the new guy away from the  dry skin and rough nails as experienced from the traditional Adam to a sexier refined one who values his looks, loves style and fine things including fine liqour. I recon that you have to tweeze your eyebrows, apply some clear nail vanish and exfoliate that face to give the fresh smooth skin texture.  Your bathroom shelf holds several mosturizers and sunblock to maintain the smooth, fine look and feel.  Not forgetting your sleek lip balm to keep your lips soft. Yes, cracked chapped lips are hard to find on a Kenyan metrosexual guy.

    Not familiar with the buzzword yet? A metrosexual man is defined as a strait sensitive well educated urban dweller who is in touch with his feminine side. He is not a gay man.

    For avoidance of doubt, I appreciate well groomed men and there is no excuse for not taking care of oneself. Clean, neatly shaped nails and toes is not only hygienic but also trendy. The hair cut and the fine trim on the beard, waxing and hair mildly relaxed and tinted black gives him a polished look that one cannot gues his actual age. Ofcourse  many of us want to defy our age and appear younger, ladies being the biggest culprits.    

        Just a close look at the metro salon where the metro guy patronises,  situated on a big mall or a house with change of user to commercial user are the highly trained and friendly hair stylists  male and female adorned in their white uniform, the male stylists mainly do the hair trimming while the female beauticians perform other treatments and massage. On my next blog, i will discuss why most man preffer a massage by a masseuse (lady) to a masseur (man). Just one more thing, sharing of personal effects is a no no! so he carries his shaver to the salon.

    When i asked my friend Eva out for a drink at our usual home joint, she was quickly answered that Thursdays is her perfect girl's night.  Your gues is as good as mine, her boyfriend (Tevin) is a metrosexual who is keen on style, spends a relatively high amount of money on personal grooming and style, shopping for designer clothes and shoes and once in a while visits the gold souks in Dubai to update his jewellery. His ride speaks volumes whenever he drives it around the town or at a joint where he meets his boys. Sorry i digressed. So, his salon appointments falls on Thursdays but she doesn't accompany him to the salon, i gues he receives more attention than her but didn't want to interrupt as she continued continued explaining the much attention she receives from the public in his company.     

        Back to my conversation with Eva on Thursday, after two double tots JD ( Jack Daniels) she begins to open up and confesses that though she loves Tevin and really likes the looks of the refined man, the relationship is unfulfilling since Tevin can hardly offer anything close to what she grew up considering to be a manly task. A simple one likes fixing a bulb or a leaking tap in the house has to pay  the caretaker or a fundi, tasks which her dad used to do as a normal tasks. He defends his unwillingness to perform the tasks as he just had a manicure the previous day plus he needs to play golf the following day with a friend who placed a good bet on the game and cannot spoil his nails.

    Their bathroom is full of expensive lotions, sunscreens and scrubs and she has to wait for him in the car as he takes longer to leave the mirror whenever they have to leave the house. Shopping for man-targetted beauty products costs him enough money to give 'wings to fly' to a Kenyan bright needy child, thanks to Equity Bank for the initiative.

    The problem with the modern metrosexual man in Kenya is the lack of discernible depth which he needs to correct. It’s not as if there haven’t always been men who dressed well and appreciated beauty and class. It should however be that one part of their overall personas, and it certainly shouldn't be the main thing. When all is said and done, they are men first: husbands,fathers, boyfriends, protectors and hands on guys. They shouldn't be inclined to compete with their woman for the title of who looks the best and avoid manly tasks at the expense of style. It is given who should put the most effort into that, and who should continue hogging the mirror and taking more time in the salons and shopping malls.

Esther Mwangi