Sometimes I am random and to celebrate this I would like to share a silly selection of childhood Afropolitan memories: Rice stored in the margarine container in the fridge rather than tupperware. School pack lunch placed in an ice cream tub, much to your embarrassment, whilst all your other friends had nice, child friendly tupperware. … Continue reading Random Afropolitan Childhood memories
We Nigerians are a generous bunch; whether it is a wedding or a funeral, we enjoy giving gifts to our guests. Our generosity is legendary simply because the range of commemorative goodies given at parties range from the sublime to the utterly ridiculous. My uncle and I recently spoke about the most memorable random gifts we have … Continue reading Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Nigerian party gifts
“Kem, do you want to take a break?” My best friend said, gently urging me to back away from my dinner plate. We were dining at a friend’s house and I was clearly struggling to finish my second helping. She approached slightly tentatively as if she were negotiating in a hostage situation, expecting to receive … Continue reading Eat like a lady, NOT like a man!
“Dad…I’m going to take a gap year.” “You want to take a what?” He replied, his perpetually smiling face instantly morphed into a frown. “A gap year.” I said rather boldly (have I lost my mind?!) “OK…OK…OK” he said repeatedly as I became increasingly unnerved with each utterance, then it stopped. Silence. What seemed like an eternity … Continue reading Mind the Gap: “You want to take a what?”
‘I love my books and I cannot lie- my mother got it oh so right’… Yes I remixed the song and I am not ashamed. I can’t help it. I love books. As a child, there was no greater pleasure than losing myself in stories or filling my mind with facts. Recently my mum was clearing … Continue reading SIR MIX A PLOT (Sorry I just LOVE books!)
It’s the end of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and for many, undoubtedly a time of numerous visits to extended family. And if you are lucky enough, you might just have that one old school relative whose household is literally frozen in time circa 1980’s / early 1990’s. So in honour of these folk and … Continue reading 12 items you will find in an old school Afropolitan Living Room
Saturday mornings as a child were not what I considered ‘fun’ although looking back it wasn’t mean to be! Yes we had cereal and watched cartoons but I mainly remember the obligatory Saturday morning routine of cleaning, polishing and going food shopping with my parents. I remember one Saturday morning – that I didn’t want … Continue reading Saturday mornings in an ‘old school’ Afropolitan household
Earlier this year I visited one of the most amazing women I know and the very definition of a thrifty Afropolitan! Hortense Julienne was born in Cameroon, West Africa; raised in France and is currently living in London. By day she is an event’s organiser but by night (and on weekends) she is a food … Continue reading Thrifty Afropolitan meets…Hortense Julienne
A few weeks ago I went to a clothes swap hosted by a lovely old friend from secondary school. Sally is just about to make a long term move to Japan with her husband and so organised a clothes swap as a way of catching up with friends whilst also getting rid of excess … Continue reading Sally’s Saturday Swap Shop
During school term times, Sunday nights were synonymous with the torturous experience of getting my hair done for the week; this along with the ritual of shining my shoes and getting the school uniform ready. I have ‘fond’ memories of sitting down- hair washed and greased- with my mum’s strong hands preparing to make something … Continue reading ‘Mum, why would you do that?’ 10 old school Afropolitan hairstyles
THE THRIFTY AFROPOLITAN 