MUNTU: Zed Series - Towani Clarke, Kutowa Designs and Kuthuta Yoga

This interview was conducted in July 2011.  I am ashamed it has taken me this long to post.  Luckily the information is timeless in its inspiration. Enjoy!

Towani Clarke, July 2011 wearing her own skirt design and bangles from Kutowa

Nationality/ies:  Mother: Zambian, Father: English

Age:  As young as I look
Countries you have lived and studied in: Zambia, South Africa
African countries you have visited: Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria
Education: BSc Agricultural Science University of Zambia, UNZA, MBA University of Cape Town, UCT
Profession(s): Fashion Designer and Yoga Instructor
Personal Interests: Fashion, Yoga, SGI Buddhism, Reading, Swimming
Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blog, Website): Facebook: Kutowa Designs page, KuthutaYoga group

10 Questions

Muntu means person in the tongue of Mwana Ba Afrika’s mothers before her.  As an acronym it stands for: 

I picked these words to build off of the notion of Ubuntu.

Marvellous

Understated

Natural

Together

United

Describe yourself in 3 words, list 4 things you that make you happy and write a sentence that describes Africa in 10 words.

Kutowa Designs: Tipenda Pamodzi Collection 2011 

3: Sassy, creative, afro-chick.

4: Seeing a clear blue sky and the sun when I wake up in the morning. Buddhist chanting meditation.  Curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book.  Hugs from my kids.

10: Land of sun, merry people, whatever the tough circumstances. Tenacious.

Recommend 3 websites, blogs and/ or books, 4 movies and/ or series and 10 songs and/ or music videos.

3:  Style.com, yogajournal.com, sgi.org

4: Vampire Diaries.

I am more of a book worm so I will recommend 3 books here:

Women who run with the wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

This is a book that is all about claiming the power of womanhood and relating how a woman in her natural state is instinctive, intuitive and strong.  It talks about knowing who you are and being in love with the person you find. If you are not ashamed of what you find, you will not want to hide who that is. A quote that encapsulates the essence of the book is: “It’s not by accident that the pristine wilderness of our planet disappears as the understanding of our own inner wild nature fades.”

You can hear you life by Louise Hay

Take any basic health problem and it will tell you the probable cause.  It gives you the underlying mental outlook to every illness and helps you to see how to change yourself mentally to help you heal physically.

Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith

The Chakra system is now making sense with my  yoga and it  has also helped with my understanding of psychology and Buddhism.

Purple Hibiscus by  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Just a beautiful piece of fiction and the fact that it is written by an African woman makes it even better.

Africa Child by Camara Lay

It talks about a way of life before colonialism, before our beliefs were disposed of by Christian ones.   The book is so powerfully beautiful, especially the way Lay talks about  traditional animist beliefs through his father, a blacksmith who has a relationship with a snake and his mother’s totem, the crocodile, which signifies that she is the only woman who can be assured safety when drawing water from the river. It opened a whole new way to look at being for me,  and illuminated an Africaness that has been lost which then highlighted how we have forgotten our roots unlike the Indians and the Chinese.  Afrinassaince, one of my Kutowa lines is inspired by this forgotteness as a way of reviving tradition by coupling it with the modernity that comes with being part of a global consciousness.  Other people are starting to research on our traditions too but we still need to reclaim them. Our culture is oral and dying with the old. This book echoes how we need to write things down.

10: Okay, so I recommended a few more books so to keep with your structure I’ll only suggest 8 songs.

1.     1. Lazy Day -  Bruno Mars

2.   2. By Your Side - Sade
It can be sung to a friend, a child, or by a child to a mother, a sister...Any way you look at it the lyrics still apply. It reminds me of my girlfriends, especially Coretta, because to me it is all about sisterhood as women, standing by each other.

3.   3. Desert Rose - Sting
I love its mystical and spiritual sound – it moves you into another zone, it makes you feel like you floating in the desert with a cute Arab dude.

4.   4. Kiss From a Rose - Seal

5.   5. Breaking Down - Randy Crawford
It’s about a woman about to have a breakdown and about a man coming to save the day. It cracks me up!  It’s silly how we are always looking for solutions outside ourselves as women with that knight in shining armour. Sometimes we just have to get on with our lives and stop waiting.

6.   6. Jailer- Asa

7.   7. Frozen- Madonna
This song has a deep psychology:  if you are not open to yourself and your feelings you can shut down and be frozen and miss out on a lot of joys in life.

8.   8. Set Fire to the Rain - Adele

What have you or do you contribute to Zambia’s development economically, politically and or socially?

Kutowa Designs: Tipenda Pamodzi Collection 2011

In the previous book of my life I worked in the agricultural sector working and managing a farm.

Economically, I am now providing employment through Kutowa for the tailors I use and the people who work on the dresses, the fabric I buy and the people who make the jewellery. 

Socially I feel my contribution is facilitating pride through wearing something that is African, that is Zambian.  Usually to impress we say our clothes were purchased overseas, now it can be about identifying with Zambia: it’s African, it’s chitenge (African print) but it’s chic, it’s hot and most importantly it’s me.  I am helping people identify with their culture in a modern and new way and not thinking about traditional wear as something that their aunt would wear at a kitchen party (bridal shower).

Then with yoga I am contributing to helping people to be more aware of the importance of looking after themselves physically, mentally and spiritually.  A lot of Zambian women walk tensely, hunched up in the shoulders.  The disconnect between the body and the mind is causing them to be exhausted at the end of the day.  So I am helping them get fit: they are standing and sitting straighter, and are more connected to their bodies and emotions.

What do you think is special about being an African woman?

For me it’s strength, because as an African woman you have to do so much all at once, even as a child.  As the first born in my family, I looked after myself and because my mother was very busy, I was in charge of the younger ones: brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews. You are already nurturing, bathing, cooking and feeding. You learn to multitask, to be responsible and how to work together with other women as a team.  This is why Zed women and African women excel as these are management skills - learning to juggle things and work with people is something we have been doing since we were kids.  I use more of my skills from childhood than from my degrees!  This is also why unfortunately our men can’t function, even in the workplace, without female help.

The afro – it’s unique and when I am having a bad hair day I can wear a chiduku (head scarf) and still look absolutely glamorous without combing my hair.  You look regal. Natural hair is cool too!

What do we as African women need to improve and how?

Stop trying to do everything on your own. Help other people take responsibility as it will help them grow.  It’s not a uniquely African problem but heightened in Africa with the boy child, with the brother, with your husband. When is another woman running after another woman unless she is an elder?  It’s high time we start sharing the responsibility with the men in the house so we can both have time to relax.  It is sad that in liberation we have work and housework and are double burdened.  It’s not too late for those who are open-minded to start talking and start with our children, especially with the boys, as it will help develop their character, help them to take care of themselves and be responsible people.

We need to accept our womaness and  our Africanness are both associated with a lot of negativities and weakness. Every coin has two sides. To be evolved is to start to see the full picture so that we understand how to change these perceptions.

What do you think is special about the African man?

He’s good looking, come on! Look at Seal: mmmm damn, he’s a good looking brother, he’s a good looking brother!  They can be good and loving fathers.

What does the African man need to improve and how?

Kutowa Designs: Tipenda Pamodzi Collection 2011 

Support your women and show your love. We know you feel it but demonstrate more often. It doesn’t mean you’re not a man and that you will be taken advantage of. A worrying trend towards absentee fathers due to people having children young and breaking up or not being in the same country is sweeping Zambia and the continent. These men are not interested in their children and make no effort to see and be with them because the concentration is currently on the man being the provider.   It’s not just about providing money, it’s about providing emotionally and physically too. But even that support is being denied to single mothers even when the man has money. It could be an epidemic soon if steps are not taken to halt this trend.

What role do the African Diaspora and the global community have to play in the continent’s development and identity?

There is huge potential because as global as we are, not everyone is going to travel to Africa. It’s still not the destination continent, it’s Europe or North America or Asia.  Maybe they’ll come to Kenya or South.  The Diaspora need to be ambassadors, they can change views about the continent and the global community need to get to know Africans out there and come visit. Africans also need to stop forgetting themselves through assimilation, though people are starting to appreciate their Africaness first.

We need the Diaspora to keep giving back and to do more of it, whether it’s for your nephew’s school fees or your mother’s medicine as we don’t have a Social Security net.  The recent wave and trend is people in the Diaspora investing in Africa by buying property and acquiring shares in businesses. Foreign investment through the Diaspora is a way forward. Why are we always looking outside for solutions instead of within?

People coming back after getting the exposure they need, and using the wealth of experience and money from the opportunities they had on the continent is happening more and more.  They are infusing a different ethos of doing things, seeing the gaps in the market and plugging them.  That’s the way foreigners have been picking up the opportunities in the past.

Are you satisfied with the way Zambia and Africa are portrayed in the media to the world?  Explain your reasoning.  

Kutowa Designs: Tipenda Pamodzi Collection 2011

Of course not!   This is old hash but it’s the nature of news - which is an extension of predominant human nature - to focus on the bad and negative. So long as that is prevalent, this will be the case. As human beings we need to reflect on this and even more so as Africans.  When people come and visit they cannot understand why things are better from what they have seen in the media.  The problem with western ideology is the overly simplified Judeo-Christian view like former President Bush had where you are either with us, or against us. That dichotomy, good/ bad, rich/ poor, black/ white causes such confusion. What about Obama and Tiger Woods? How do they fit into society when you create such limited categories? 

Here in Africa we are more flexible and not so obsessed with trying to pigeonhole people.  Yes, we have a lot of poverty and sickness but there is a whole lot more to the situation. We need to challenge these world views to say you know what, it’s not just black and white: there is the rainbow and every combination of each of its colours.  And that’s what I love about Africa – we are a lot about colour from the brightness of the sun, the dryness of the dry season and desert, the green of the emerald season. We fluctuate. We are brightness and contradiction - one colour against another and contrast exists.  In the either/ or situation you just see one side and you don’t open your eyes to all the variation.  We also need to see those variations in certain areas as we also are prone to seeing ourselves the way the West does in critical areas.  The key is how do we see ourselves as Africans? We are still recovering – hair, skin colour, beliefs, and spirituality - we still feel inferior. We have allowed some of this brainwashing. We need to see the full picture in our media as well. The good, as well as the bad. All the facets of Africa need to be shown for the true picture to be seen.

3 Places and/ or Things That Make Zambia Special:

4 Experiences Towani has Learnt From

For more videos go to my YouTube Channel and  you can find more MUNTU interviews on the blog.

Inaugural MUNTU: Kabungo Precious Mumbi-Habeenzu - 10 Questions

This is the last part of the first MUNTU and Zed series from Kabungo Precious Mumbi-Habeenzu.  In keeping with my 3-4-10 series, here is the interview with her where I asked her 10 Questions about Zambia, Africa, the media and how she feels we are seen and should be seen, as well as her thoughts on being and African woman and on the African man.

Nationality/ies: Zambian

Age: 28
Countries you have lived and studied in: Zambia, Namibia
African countries you have visited: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya, Chad, Botswana
Education: BA Media Studies and Sociology, University of Namibia (UNAM)
Profession(s):  Communications Specialist
Personal Interests: Writing, Gardening, Family, Singing, Video production, Inspirational books, Cuisine, Fashion, Cuisine, Basketball,
Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blog, Website):  LinkedIn, I’m too lazy and too afraid of getting addicted to join anything else

10 questions

Muntu means person in the tongue of Mwana Ba Afrika’s mothers before her.  As an acronym it stands for: 

Mind-blowing

That is what Africa and Zambia in particular are. Also black women have this nice natural look and what I believe to be the best colour in the world, which makes them stand out and this is mind-blowing to experience.

Umbrella

African trees provide shade from the sometimes intense and scorching sun and the continent itself has this warm welcoming feel that overpowers everything.  Umbrellas can also be multicoloured and I feel this symbolises the different personalities that you find in Zed where we have a down-to-earth, cultured nature and an unparallelled friendliness that is unique to Africa.

Nature/ Natural

Keeping it natural symbolises African natural beauty both in the landscape and as a people.  We have such natural beauty in abundance. I love anything to do with nature.

Tolerance

Every human being should have that space in themselves to be tolerant.  Our different personalities should blend as it is hard, but necessary to grow and live with others. 

Untapped

I am referring here to untapped beauty in all its form: what stands out on the inside can’t be judged from the outside the first time.  It’s about getting to know people and not judge them automatically from appearances. Leave space for the untapped beauty beyond.  This applies to the way Zambia and Africa are viewed from the outside too.

Describe yourself in 3 words, list 4 things you that make you happy and describe Africa in 10 words.

3: Kind. Ambitious. Intelligent.

4: My daughter and husband.  Family. Waking up every day as it is a blessing to see another morning and be alive. Good Health.

10: Cultured. Tasty Food. Colourful. Natural. Beauty. Industrious. Warmth. Wisdom. Wild.

Recommend 3 websites, blogs and/ or books, 4 movies and/ or series and 10 songs and/ or music videos.

3: Mwana Ba Afrika

Of course! Sending the love right back to my niece.

It’s Your Time by Joel Austin

This inspirational book opened my eyes to a lot of thing and helped my through difficult circumstances.  It changed my way of thinking. I no longer complain about about things not going my way - it’s about thinking about and making the change. This book gets you to take leadership of your life.

Fight Hunger, Walk the World 

I found this website while working for the World Food Programme, WFP, without realising it was linked to WFP. I was looking for a platform to do a fashion show  to benefit starving children and it help shape the event and opened my eyes to what is going on in Zambia, rather than looking further out.  It is a great site to find information to make comparisons between Africa and the rest of the world and learn from other situations. Young people should have that interest and know what they can do differently because it could be any one of us who needs help  and/ or who can provide solutions in the future.

4: Blue Lagoon

This was the first interesting movie I watched and also the first with nudity. I had a huge crush on the guy.  It taught me a lot about coming of age. I watched it when I was 11 and afterwards I started noticing the changes in my body. 

McGyver 

I had a crush on him too. It was always on TV as a child in the 80s.

Shades of Sin (Brazil)

I love a bit of intrigue!

Kabanana

We have to support local talent and productions.

10: As you will see by this list I L-O-V-E Dancehall!

1.      Queen Of The Pack by Patra

Always had her hairstyle as a teenager

2.       Make My Day by Buju Banton

3.       All On Me by Sean Paul

4.       Love Triangle by Diana King

5.       It’s About Time by Boom Shaka

6.       Shibobo by TKZee

7.       House, Money, Car by Nalu

8.       Ngafikilisha by JK

9.       Here and Now by Luther Vandross

10.   Street Thing by Aaliyah

What have you or do you contribute to Zambia’s development economically, politically and or socially?

When you win Miss Zambia there is no set program that you have to follow, as in many other countries around the world - you have to find your own feet. I started on a number of projects and made sure that they were different from what is usually is expected such as the usual suspects HIV/ AIDS and poverty. I really wanted to challenge myself to think outside the box and use my position to highlight aspects of Zambia that needed looking at that were being sidelined.  This led me to the Road Safety.  This issue was particularly important to me as a dear friend was one of seven fatalities in a bus accident that caused 40 casualties.   I was sponsored by the FIA Foundation based in London to attend first UN Assembly on Road Safety in Geneva and was also endorsed by the Ministry of Health to represent Zambia. I was privileged to work with other ambassadors for a month about what can work in our respective countries in terms of Road Safety advocacy.  I then returned to work with RTSA to design and implement youth educational programs.  Teaching should start in childhood, at nursery, so kids grow up with an awareness of how dangerous the road is. What I achieved in 2006-7 is still ongoing and has been passed on to subsequent Miss Zambias.

I also initially did a lot of orphanage work but lost interest as the situation in Zambia is quite exaggerated. At first glance it looked like they needed sponsorship and I worked tirelessly to get them the financial support that was seemingly needed.  I developed a close relationship with the children and the people running the institutions and it became evident that many of the organisations use the children to get financial support for selfish purposes which shouldn’t happen and I wasn’t going to enable that.  An instance of this was when I checked up on foodstuffs I had donated the day before and found that the staff had shared it amongst themselves and the kids were starving at breakfast because none of the food was there for them!  However there were orphanages that were truly run from the heart, such as Cheshire Home in Chawama, which really stood out. It is run by Nuns and they have a board who are committed and involved.

Now apart from my salary being heavily taxed, I continue to work in development. My last job was at UNICEF. In August I start with Chemonics , USAID, based at the Ministry of Education as the Communications Manager. It is a new project aimed at establishing community schools and helping government schools in curriculum improvement, especially in the rural areas, and advocating for girl-child education.  We need to stop prioritising male education only so as to have females work around the house till they are married.  We have made progress but there is still a huge gap.  Schools are also empty at certain times of the year especially during the planting and harvest seasons. Telling children they have rights and not be afraid to speak up and say that school is important among other things is what I want other children to enjoy, just as I will ensure for my daughter.  I am still active in Road Safety as I think that the government can save a lot of money to spend on other issues if things are improved.

What do you think is special about being an African woman?

African women are blessed to be able multi-task!! We are able to do more than 10 things at the same time and we do all of that well and with no complaints. Secondly, there are no restrictions in terms of how your body is - we are not criticized for having curves and we can be all sizes which from what I have seen, other women around the world are not afforded. We have well toned bodies so it always surprises me when the media says otherwise. Come to Zambia or somewhere in Africa and see how beautiful we are.  Also our culture is still there despite modernity. We still retain our practices and respect them and this sets us apart.

What do we, as African women, need to improve and how?

We need to come out our shells a little more - think outside the box and not always conform to what is expected and what we see others doing.  African women are becoming more and more ambitious and want to further their education, and in most cases are highly educated yet the HIV and AIDS  is still very high in women as compared to men. What is it that we are doing wrong? Mindset on Ccondom use still has to change too -  WOMEN NEED TO LEARN TO NEGOTIATE FOR SAFER SEX REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE MARRIED OR SINGLE! In short we need to live for us as women.  Recently I’ve seen  women becoming more economically self-reliant and I’d like to see that continue. Building a future for ourselves and our children by jointly making decisions with our husbands is so important. Let’s continue changing, we may be homemakers but we can also take charge and venture outside, earn our own money, work for ourselves. We still lack that confidence. We can do what men can do.

What do you think is special about the African man?

Well, like my husband, they are extra romantic, highly intelligent sensitive beings with a lot of respect for their women (whether mothers or spouses). They can me understanding, extra-supportive of decisions women make, well-natured and always thinking of the future and the welfare of the family.  The African man loves good food and is very conservative. I used to be a huge spender - I would spend my last ngwee and be stuck the next day. He thinks about why he was spending first and helped me plan for things, he helped me grow.

What does the African man need to improve and how?

African men need to begin to accept the new African woman - her confidence, decision making capabilities, her multi-tasking and her equality in work. They need to get out of the mindset that they have the upper-hand and have mutual understanding. They need to participate in making joint decisions and not hold back because they are worried about what other people will say - it is not a sign of weakness. Gone are the days where the woman is running around like a headless chicken. My husband helped with the diapers. Gender education and equality is essential for this country and the continent’s future. Finally, African men should also learn to stick to one sexual partner.

What role do the African Diaspora and the global community have to play in the continent’s development and identity?

Our culture is our identity as a continent, but as the world has evolved, so should our cultural beliefs and practices - we need to adjust to fit into the current environment culturally. We can learn from the world and other countries.  The disasters that have been happening are not so common here and we should be thankful that we do not have severe floods and earthquakes and have always been a peaceful nation. The well developed countries can help us to figure out how to reach that stage, especially the most recent nations that have bypassed us.  We need to ask how we can be less dependent from the lessons learnt by others.

Are you satisfied with the way Zambia and Africa are portrayed in the media to the world?  

Zambia: No, not at all. When you are out there and you watch something it’s ALWAYS something negative. Poverty-stricken, HIV/ AIDS, typical Africa.  Yes these are huge problems, but there is more to us than that. Why don’t we make the news with our successful development programs, our economic improvement, our beauty, what we have to offer?!  You have to personally recommend places and for people to know and visit. We also have a huge role to play and need to brand ourselves better and find better communication tools to advertise and promote ourselves.  Everyone has something to hide, why do we always have to show everything? There is good to oppose the bad. I also don’t like how certain Zambians talk ill of our country. We should be patriotic despite the bad. How can we develop if we dwell on our bad experiences? If it’s not correct, voice it and then change it.  Yes there are limitations in our media but we are free enough to speak out, we won’t be shot at, we do enjoy that privilege as I am right now.

Africa: Totally not happy. People overseas only ever know about South Africa when we have 54 countries on the continent with the recent edition of South Sudan!  We are seen as this disease haven - come here to die is how we are portrayed. I have worked with a lot of international donors and there is so much talk of precautions to the point that people bring along things like toilet paper! It’s like we have nothing but a huge uncivilised jungle to live in! Again it comes down to how we market ourselves. We are all Africans and should help each other.  People are always surprised how warm and generous we are and how they can find what they need. Corruption, HIV and AIDs and poverty are also problems faced by other countries.  We have our own problems and solutions and we need to reassess how we portray and tackle them on the global stage.  We can also be a learning hub, we need to highlight this. We are like the stereotypical female being dominated by the male continents. We are more than what we are conceived to be. We have some of the greatest philosophers  - we can be great teachers too.

For videos on the 4 things Kabungo has learnt from your experiences as a student in Namibia, Miss Zambia,  mother and wife, and a professional in Zambia, as well as the 3 places and or things that make Zambia special you can find them on the blog here and on the MwanaBaAfrika YouTube Channel.

Afropolitan Musings

This post originally had a video that was part of my series Video Musing of an Afropolitan Woman.  It was the second of three I made.  I realised that it took way too much energy to talk and be me in front of the camera, it is much easier for me to write to convey my nonsense and splashes of profound insight and brilliance (we can agree to disagree on that he he he).  I don't have the desire to be in front of the camera really.  I think that my posts in and of themselves more than adequately reflect my personality.  If you haven't realised by now that I am an intelligent, slightly unhinged and wacky afropolitan woman I can't help you ;}.

I am currently feeling my technology deficit and how I have been meaning to rectify it.  So of course the only person to come to aid this damsel in distress is Santa, whether it be the fat dude in the North Pole or some very handsome, rich man whom comes baring lots of gifts ha ha ha ha ;}. Being independent doesn't mean not asking for help when you need it, I do not think this infringes on my quest for female empowerment at all :).

I have added a new quote to the Amashiwi section up top and on the page too:


Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning   - Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

I am currently working through Maya Angelou's 6 part autobiography and I am engrossed in the first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Her memory of her childhood is immaculate and her simple retelling of her youth is so honest, so childish, so poignant, so uplifting and so engaging! When I finish them all I will muse of course :).

For now, I have discovered what I imagine it would be like to be Mr. Tumnus. My lower body is really hurting, my sister definitely listened when I asked her to make an exercise plan that concentrated my thighs and butt. All I can feel right now is the forgotten muscles located in the lower extremities. So I imagine this is what it would feel like if I was a centaur. However, after only a day of exercise (my plan is Monday, Wednesday, Friday, weight and ball work followed by 30 minutes of dancing) I feel so fresh and so clean clean! I slept so well last night, bar waking up at 6am when my body stretched and was reminded of the muscles it had forgotten.  I stretched this morning and now will stretch everyday and not just before and after exercise. I just feel sooooooo alive!  There is a difference between being extant and actually participating in life. Using your body is part of participating. I am ashamed that I cowered in the corner when things got a little rough and neglected this facet of my life.  Hopefully never again!

NEW!: Video Musings of an Afropolitan Woman

This post originally had a video that was part of my series Video Musing of an Afropolitan Woman.  It was the first of three I made.  I realised that it took way too much energy to talk and be me in front of the camera, it is much easier for me to write to convey my nonsense and splashes of profound insight and brilliance (we can agree to disagree on that he he he).  I don't have the desire to be in front of the camera really.  I think that my posts in and of themselves more than adequately reflect my personality.  If you haven't realised by now that I am an intelligent, slightly unhinged and wacky afropolitan woman I can't help you ;}.

After having a very lovely email conversation with the next big Nigerian film director who recently launched his site 37th State, I have been inspired to get off my very comfortable arse and finally start making videos.  I am the Queen of procrastination, yes that's with a capital Q.  I am very adept at stalling and convincing those around me to join the bandwagon and this skill is happily facilitated by my propensity to inertia.

So I now have my own YouTube Channel and you can find me on Facebook.  Please subscribe on any of those platforms or become a follower of the blog and/ or leave comments.  The interaction I have received thus far has been very helpful and encouraging and I value it greatly.

This first video is about African themed books from the continent and the diaspora.  I forced myself to watch it before my rather rudimentary stab at video making, involving little editing using the standard tool that comes with Windows.  What is clear that the clip itself is fine, I have used technology to the best of my ability, but it is me that could do with a bit of work:

1. I need to be less nervous. Popping your video cherry is not easy and as they say it is always awkward the first time is it not ;}?! Having to give myself the note to be louder is I'm sure releasing chuckles from the throats of all those who know me well.  My voice also sounds rather funny but I believe that is due to being at home and involuntarily suppressing my accent when talking to people so they are not hostile for whatever reason they come up with or just so I'm  not ripped off at the market when buying jewellery  I like to blend into my surroundings most of the time. This also happens in the US when no one can understand me when I ask for a glass of water at a restaurant. I have never been told to be louder, I'm always being told to be more discreet, quiet, or to just shut up!

2. I need a tan! Unfortunately I have spent the last 8 months in the cold by somehow managing to go to Europe during the autumn and winter only to return to winter in Zambia so have not had consistent sunshine for 3/4 of the year!!! I'm really smart like that. I am hoping that my pallid complexion is due to my recent bout of malaria but I know it is not - my family have been telling me I need some colour for a while. I will follow my dear British boarding school friends' lead by purposefully planning to sit outside when the sun is out and shellacking myself with oil to speed up the browning process ;}.

3. Better set design.  My minion, who claims to be my younger sister, said I was being too anal.  She filmed off centre so I am sure we are not related by blood.  Yes this is enough evidence for me to deny kinship.

African and Diasporan books that featured in the video were:

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Harmattan Rain by Ayesha  Harruna Attah
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Rich Girl, Poor Girl by Lesley Lokko
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

All great books I highly recommend :)