MEN AND ERRANDS!

If there is one thing you should never do or at least should avoid doing, it is sending a man on home errands e.g. to buy food or anything for the kitchen—that is if you need it urgently. You will wait for what feels like eternity until you wish you had done it yourself. When he finally comes home, he will have an excuse ready for your ears.

I do not know what it is with men but most of them easily get derailed when on a drive to buy something from the grocery store. Perhaps it is too boring or they feel it is not that important so they keep their partner/sister/friend waiting at home only to show up much later—empty handed. Yes, he forgot what he had gone out to buy in the first place. Like seriously?  It beats my understanding too. Can someone out there help explain this to me? What happens when you (men) leave the house? You forget?

Now here is a true story:

One day, I was at home and so hungry. There was no food in the house as I had not done shopping yet. I checked my purse and found I had no money so I called my boyfriend who told me not to worry and that he would be coming over in a few with food. Relieved to hear this, I replied “ok, thanks” and hang up. Then I waited… 30 minutes…. 50 minutes … an hour… two hours. I dozed off. When I later woke up to go pee, I was so light-headed and weak that I fell as I got into the bathroom and almost hit my head on the toilet  seat but luckily I broke my fall and hit my mouth instead. I blacked out.

When I came to after what felt like a minute (to this day, I am not sure for how long I had passed out), my lip was bleeding and I had cracked a bit of my tooth. Gosh! How I hate falling! Actually, the right words are – I FEAR FALLING! Oh well, it could have been worse, right? I thank God it wasn’t.

I looked at the time and it was now six hours later. Rung my boyfriend again to find out if he was coming at all and this was his excuse, “Oh babe, I got caught up with the boys but I will be home soon.” I wanted to scream, “WHAT THE F—” but calmed myself. I was too weak anyway. When I told him what had happened, he “woke” up to the seriousness of my hunger and said, “I am on my way now!”  Wow! It took an accident to get him to finally bring me food. Had I had money on me at home, I would have gone for the food myself. Banks had already closed and this was the time before mobile money/Mpesa had kicked in. Sigh.

There are so many examples and stories I can share but I will stop at this one and the floor is yours.

Not all men are like this though. The few who take our errands seriously, we (ladies) applaud you. As for those who make us wait a lifetime before delivering the food to cook or the baby syrup or the detergent for the laundry, come on! It matters to us so tell the boys to wait a bit, quickly dash for the stuff and back then go meet the boys. Otherwise, do not wonder why your woman flinches each time you mention “the boys” to her.

My brothers out there should shade some light on this. I am merely sharing something I and many other sisters have observed and experienced.

I learned to avoid T.S.E. (Telling Someone Else) to do what I can do if I can do it myself because it will save us all a lot of time—in most cases.

Well, all the best with your errands and if you have sent your man, good luck waiting. Hahaha!

Xoxo,

Cleopatra.

MEDIA LOVE

So it was the first week of January 2016, and I was featuring in newspapers again. There was an article about my work as Manager at Skylux Lounge (a posh club in Nairobi), in The Standard’s Pulse Magazine. Then this led to my Ugandan media catching on and also sharing with my country what I am up to.

I told you 2016 will be a year of triple blessings. God speed! 

The Standard- Pulse Magazine (Kenya)

In the past, my family and friends were so used to seeing me in newspapers, magazines, on TV and hearing me on radio that when I took that TIME OUT I told you about in my previous blog, they would personally call to check on me because now, they wouldn’t know what was going on in my life. LOL! There is a time I had grown wary of all the media attention. I felt I had no privacy and I hated the blatant lies some tabloids would write about me. I practically used to hide from the press but only appear where I had to, for example, film festivals, Award shows, interviews and the like. Media love has its ups and its perks. I now understand why some people say, “No press is bad press”. It is what you make it really. Bottom line is—you are a subject—you are being talked about which means you are relevant. So put a sock in it and stop sulking because they have written that you were dumped by your partner. Enjoy the attention and look at the bright side, they spared space in their paper for you because you matter. 

The New Vision -Uganda

As a writer myself, I know what it entails to get someone to feature as a story. I was the staff writer cum Celebrity & Features Editor for African Woman magazine for eight years. I also contribute occasionally for Drum Magazine.

I believe in writing articles/interviews that uplift people and motivate others, but just like a coin has two sides to it, there are writers who love to be very controversial. They write attacking stories and create some juicy ones that may not necessarily be true. Yes, all our articles are read, but most times, the controversial ones sell more. Why? My guess is people love gossip. Not everyone wants to know how well Obama is doing and how great he may be as President. That is not news. But imagine if tomorrow, the front page of a top newspaper/magazine had a headline saying, “Obama caught in bed with another woman”, ho! That story would sell like hot cake. It is life. Sadistic as it may sound, most people dwell on other people’s pain. Maybe it makes them feel better about themselves, who knows. In my view, nobody is perfect.

Anyway, back to the article about me, and where I work. The writer was featuring Entertainment club managers. It is a good article pointing out how hard we work. Thank you, dear media, for the support.

Skylux Lounge is one of the coolest clubs I know in Nairobi. Being its Operations & Marketing manager is no piece of pie but I am embracing every experience it brings my way. I have a great team to work with and my directors are supportive and the kind of individuals one can learn a lot from.

So, come by SKYLUX when you have the chance. We open on Fridays & Saturdays but in the future, we plan to open on Wednesdays and Thursdays too. I will keep you posted. Skylux is Nairobi’s nightlife therapy. 

Follow Skylux on,

 Twitter & Instagram: @SKYLUX_LOUNGE

                           

Xoxo,

Cleopatra. (Twitter & Instagram: @CleopatraCK)

MY 2015-LESS YEAR

I do not know how 2015 was for you but for me, it was a year where I did a lot of LESS, if you know what I mean. With all the talents and skills I am blessed with, I did not do much in 2015. I acted less, wrote less, sung less, danced less, presented less, blogged less and hosted less. In fact, I did not do any of these AT ALL.  Imagine!

Was it my choice, you ask? No. It was just not my year. Things did not go as planned and nothing I tried seemed to work or grow into fruition. Contacts I had did not come through and all the way from January to December, it was a hustle.

Life sucks, you say, but no, I say, sometimes in life we need a TIME OUT. Every sport has it so why not life. I had worked a lot and so hard since I was 16 that in 2014 when I had my first baby, Aviana… she is so adorable, the joy of my life…. Okay, back to my point… it was the first time in years that I took a break from work. I actually happily took a break from work and Motherhood took over. Every day was a new experience with baby Aviana. My dear fiancé Lwanda Jawar and I were too excited we would watch her like she was our favorite TV show. New parents we were and just like everything else, it had its perks too but the majority is good stuff so I will dwell on that. I do not want to scare parents-to-be and new parents out there. Trust me, the challenges are nothing you will not handle and pull through. Sleepless nights, painful breasts, do not get me started. I appreciate my mother and guardians much more now. What patience they had! Hahaha.

So 2014 was maternity year for me, but I still got to do a few shows, E.g. I was a guest DJ/presenter on the Sakata Mashariki dance show on Citizen TV alongside my Kenyan friends DNG, Crème de la Crème, Wyre and songstress Shaa from Tanzania among others. I was also a guest judge on Maisha Superstar, a DSTV talent show alongside talents such as Maurice Kirya (a good friend of mine), Jose Chameleone, AY, Nameless, Ian Mbugua among other greats. So even though I had had a baby like four to six months ago by the time I was featuring in these shows, I did some work. I got some gigs which is something I cannot say for 2015.

I do not consider myself a superstitious person but I have never liked odd numbers. I have always preferred even numbers because I believe they are balanced compared to Odd ones which leave one digit hanging. Weird, huh? It is a real theory for me now. 2015 proved it.

The good side of 2015 though is I got to bond more with my daughter. She will be making two years on 22^nd January, which is a week after my own birthday. Awesome, right? Yeah. I think it is great too!

Other good thing is I got to spend a lot more time with family, something I had missed doing for many years. I also grew to know more about myself: how resilient, strong, patient, impatient, stubborn, etc.  I could be. There is a lot to be thankful for in 2015 in other avenues besides my career.

Let us say, 2015 was my year to really reflect on my life.

I did start working again in August though, yes. I got a job. Did I mention that all this while I was in Kenya and not in my home country Uganda? Well, I am in a foreign land but I call it my second home because my fiancé is Kenyan and I have my own relatives who have lived and grown up here. Kenya is a tough market to break into. You would think it would be a piece of cake for me because I have done film projects here over the years and I am signed to a Kenyan music label, Cypher Studios, but my, oh my, what a lesson I have learned. East or West, home is always best. Kenyans are lovely people though, they may not like foreigners much but once they accept you, you are family for life! I love Kenya. It is my home now. Uganda, I love you too and I will visit again soon. 

Now that 2016 is here and it is an “even” year, I already feel God’s favor upon me and my luck beginning to change to what it used to be, though this time, things will be much greater. Blessings will unfold in triples. I have the faith. 2016 is going to be a beautiful year for me and my family, God speed. I plan to do all I am good at MUCH MORE this year, nothing less.

HAPPY NEW YEAR darlings!!!

Xoxo,

Cleopatra.

SANYU FM STOOPS LOW BY DEFACING RADIOCITY BANNER!

Radiocity banner at Club Venom

Competition—defined to mean, “A contest of skill or knowledge” in the Webster English dictionary but it beats my comprehension when competitors take it a notch further by stooping to a new low!

What am I talking about?  Look at the picture on the right here and tell me what you are thinking. Me too, I was like: “what the hell??” “Is this supposed to be a joke??” “Sanyu FM actually did this??” I was as speechless as you are right now. The hash tag #ThingsSanyuFMCanCopyFromRadiocity went viral on Twitter this Friday morning that I started reading every tweet and the responses were not kind to our fellow radio station but whose fault is it? Why do this and go ahead to upload it to your official Facebook page??

Sanyu FM uploaded the pic on its Facebook page

You may look at the photo and say someone from the Sanyu FM camp did it but it does not mean it is Sanyu FM to blame… but my dear, it is to blame. Its brand was used to try and make fun of another brand. No one should be this naïve and unprofessional to pull such a move no matter the competition. What some people do not understand is that when you are a part of a company or brand, you are no longer seen as just an individual. Whatever you do or say reflects on the company//brand you work for. I have friends at Sanyu FM such as Seanice, Crystal, Fat Boy, DJ Pita, Timothy to mention but a few and this is what makes it so damn disappointing and surprising. I doubt they had a hand in it because to me it is ridiculous. So I ask myself, “Who would do this to Radiocity? Is the competition really that strong that someone has to deface the Radiocity brand?” Not funny and not cool at all. 

One thing I have observed with our Ugandan market is that people do not know how to compete and still be friends or get along. Somehow things become personal. We have a problem and difficulty of failing to separate business from pleasure. In Uganda, it is as if a competitor is an enemy. So many now spend a lot of time planning how to bring others down or shame them in order to devalue them and then get more customers/clients… in this case, listeners. From the tabloids to the newspapers, TV & Radio stations to musicians, business people, politicians and so on, there is a hostility brewing and I do not understand where it is coming from or why it is necessary. The Baganda say, “Butayagaliza bano kibi” (hope the spelling is right)… meaning “not wishing the best for others is bad” and this is a vice that is going to kill our industry that has so far been growing and progressing well. Why can’t we all just get along??! 

Back to Basics by Mister Deejay & Val

At Radiocity, we are a team and we like working with others or giving credit where it’s due whether you are a competitor or not. For example; Mister Deejay likes to incorporate other deejays and presenters from other radio stations in his “Back to Basics” event such as Alex Ndawula & Val Oketcho (Capital FM), DJ Pita (Sanyu FM) and others. This is just one of the few examples. If it was about him thinking “I am Radiocity and they are not so I cannot work with them”, that would be stupid. Let’s get work done and let us be there to push the entertainment industry higher with all our various ideas and brands without killing each other—in whichever way.

Let us all be wise and compete in a mature way. We all work for different brands/companies but let us not make it a reason to breed hate and stab others in the back, or be malicious in order to get ahead. Karma does catch up with you one way or the other—you can never fully escape it. It is like death! So watch how you treat others for soon you might have to reap what you sowed—good or bad—it is up to you. I wouldn’t want to be the one to say, “You got served!”

Seriously though, Sanyu FM, I think someone owes Radiocity 97fm an apology. 

Anyway, moving on swiftly, check out the Radiocity website to get to know who Mister Deejay is and the whole Radiocity team. www.radiocity.ug  LOVE LIFE, LOVE MUSIC!! :)

Reaching out a hand!

Now onto the next news my dear bloggers. :)
Most of you who know me and the work I do, you are aware that I am a Goodwill Ambassador for Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU).

The World Aids Day Campaign 2012

Lately, I have been shooting health skits with RAHU and it is fun and also a learning experience for some of the participants who hope to be serious actors someday. We hope to reach out to various youths out there with our educative messages. Soon, I will share the health skits with you when they are ready. :)
To those of you who do not know RAHU, check out our website www.reachahand.org and stay in touch with what we are doing.

Go on and do something for someone else, reach out. Reach a hand either with advise, assistance or just listening. Let us help our youths get on the path to their destiny/dreams. I urge you to pursue your dreams & not give up! Have self respect & make the decisions that will add to your life, not take away from it. All the best to you.

I'M THANKFUL FOR ALOT! But first, KONA!

Hello my blog darlings,
Been away a while but been busy. My oh my, have I got lots to tell you!! :)
Where do I start?...
Okay, I will begin with my role in an awesome new DSTV series, the first East African Telenovela titled "KONA". It premiered towards the end of last month (August) at Serena Hotel in Uganda, as well as in Nairobi,Kenya and in Tanzania. All premieres were successful with an interesting and excited number of guests. There was a mini boxing match to complement the events.

In my role as JAKKI

I play the character of a young girl named Jakki. She is a wannabe boxer who is trying to reconnect with her father since her mother took her away to Uganda when she was a little girl. Jakki is her father's daughter; strong-headed and stubborn like him and wants to be a boxer, just like him! This is one thing her father cannot hear of though. Catch the drama that ensues when Jakki shows up unexpectedly at her aunt's doorstep. You will enjoy every moment! :) I had to train every day while on set from January til the time I finished shooting my scenes. I must say I enjoyed every bit; got more fit, learned boxing and worked with a great bunch of talented people; both cast and crew! The directors and producers were amazing, so was the whole production team. It was a wonderful experience and I am grateful I made it through the auditions for this role. :) KONA!!

Cast: Janet Sision, Brenda Wairimu & Nini Wacera

A fan, Dale, Brenda, Frankie & Lwanda

KONA premiere in Uganda

KONA airs on DSTV's Africa Magic Entertainment (AME) 151, Africa Magic (AM) 154 as well as on GOTV Plus Ch 1 at 7.30pm, East African Time (EAT) every Monday to Friday. Repeats are aired daily at 2pm on AME Ch 151 & at 4pm on AM Ch 154. If you prefer to watch the omnibus,  and enjoy the week's episodes at ago, catch it every Saturday from 3.30pm-5pm on AM Ch 154 & GOTV Plus Ch 1, OR every Sunday from 2.30pm-4.30pm on AME Ch 151. DON'T MISS THIS KNOCK OUT SERIES! :)

DECEPTION

He lies through his teeth

And he causes you grief

Your heart merely bleeds

For you know he is nothing but a thief

Stealing your joy, dignity and belief

In loyalty, fidelity and truth

But "no more!", you say,

He is the one to lose.