BOO(b) (breast scare)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I have been a supporter of the campaigns for over 12 years now. I was very sad when Mary Onyango of the Kenya Breast Health Program lost her battler earlier this year against this dreaded disease. We have had some great fun with her and Ida Odinga and other top personalities in raising awareness for this cause!

So come the beginning of the month I changed my avis on facebook and started tweeting about it, in fact @thepinkmove also gave me a gift for being their follower. But I have to be honest, I was not practicing what I was preaching.
Since I had Ariyana I stopped doing the breast exams. The day after she was delivered I noticed a painful lump in my right underarm. Of course, I had just delivered a baby and emotions were all over the place that I started crying on detecting it thinking that I am going to die and that was the end of that. How irresponsible of me because with all the campaigning I have done for breast cancer, I was more educated than to just jump to a conclusion.

I ignored the lump and the pain and it went away. A few months ago I started getting another pain. This got me a bit concerned. I started seeing signs, people all around me were getting breast cancer friends, aunts, etc. I tried to get my mind off it and switched on the TV- my channel of choice was E! and saw that Gulianna Rancic had breast cancer and got through it and my mind just kept thinking the worst.
I was just scared. I did not want to go get it checked because knowing my luck, they would find something and it would be yet another challenge I had to face!

I spoke to two very good friends of mine who then pushed me to go see a doctor. They are the reason I am blogging about this subject. So my friend sets me up an appointment with a top breast specialist (or a breacialist as I like to call him). I get to the appointment with a huge lump in my throat.
I walk in and he shakes my hand saying he is so happy to finally meet me and that he knew my dad. Wow, could this get anymore awkward?
After the routine questionaire he then tells me that he is going to examine me. Right, so my late fathers pal is going to feel the boobies. Odd? I undress and lie down, he comes along and I look to the right, blink a lot and hold my breath. He goes on with his business and I am feeling super uncomfortable for two reasons; 1. because he is my dads friend and 2. because my dads friend is going to tell me I am going to die!

After what seems like an eternity he finishes and asks me to get dressed. He tells me that my breasts are rather lumpy (ati?) but this is normal for someone my age (for the record, that would be 16) and that all is ok and I have nothing to worry about.
Wow! What a relief. I am so happy I could kiss him, but then I had enough action for the day!

Point is - early detection can save lives and truth is, as my friends told me, I was worrying about nothing. Ladies, make sure you do check and look after yourself and your girls! Support the cause and the awareness campaigns, they are for a very good reason and the noise is made so that you can stop, take 20 minutes and get your boobies felt.

RIP Mary and to all the others who fought the fight...

Stay Pink this October - maridadi.com and suziebeauty.com have worthwhile causes you can support, log on to their sites and find out how.

Pinky xxo

Justin Beiber minus the flick of the hair..

The more I blog, the more I get confused how to start my blog..
Do I start it like a letter? Dear Reader, thank you so much for coming back to read my thoughts... Or do I start is like a phone conversation? Hey! What's up? How's it going? Or I could start it like I am posting on your facebook wall; Last night was craaaay (tag here) lets do it again soon and this time we can invite (tag here) and (tag here) - of course, in a blog, this would make no sense at all!

Anyway, that was a nice ice breaker and now I do not have to waste 30 minutes on how to start my blong. Ariyana turns two on Thursday! It is so exciting for me because I do not believe where the time has gone and she is reaching this fun age and stage where she is talking and saying things that make me feel so proud because I had a part in creating that.. Being a mama is fun beans.

So let me tell you about this thing that I am addicted to - Bikram Yoga. Basically its 26 yoga postures in a hot room - now when they say hot they mean 40 degrees and up. So yes, it gets pretty intense in there to a point you want to pull your hair out just so it can take the pain of the heat away. The concept behind it is clever, but I cannot tell you what has me addicted to this. I keep talking myself out of it but before I know it, there I am - in hot pants and a tiny top - stretching and sweating and then taking a break and lying down for the rest of the lesson. Its a 90 minute class and you are drenched by the time you walk out of it, but weather you lay down or stretched your ass off, you still feel like super woman when you walk out of the class.

Other than that, I hosted Baby Banda over the weekend - it was so fun to see so many women who are preggers and looking fab. Feeling fab is far from how they were feeling, but it was a good laugh all the same.We talked about boobs and breast milk and sexual positions and ...oh ya, baby too!
Someone walked up to me and said "I love your show Pinky" and I just didn't have the heart to say that there is no show no more. May be she meant to say I loved your show.. Either way, I let my head grow. Then of course there were photos after the event, I felt like Justin Beiber - but then again, I am a Kenyan Asian Celeb (ref to blog before this if you are confused)
Remind me to blog about an email I received - this is how it started 'Dear Pinky, I am still your fan.....' Yah, I stopped reading it at that sentence.

Anyway, just thought I would connect with you, I thank you for reading my blog although Google has refused for me to make money off this. Every time I apply it says "REJECTED" as though I have committed a crime! Shame, but who cares, I do this more for the love of the fact that I can share my (was going to use a bad word here) thoughts with you and you read and comment. Appreciate it.

Have a good one and remember to be a blessing.

SULK!

The other day I had lunch with a friend of mine. It was super fun, we ate sushi and drank juice and caught up on so much that two girls can possibly talk about in the span of 2 hours! In the corner of the restaurant were a group of people that caught my eye. As I looked up I realised that I knew 80 per cent of the people sitting there. It was a large group and they were getting their sushi on!
After my friend and I parted ways I joined this group of people for a drink, because one of the hosts of this lunch insisted I do so. I obliged. The group was made up of the who is who in the law world, if you will. I loved listening to the jokes, their humor is on point and it was enjoyable to be in their company. 

Anyway, I joined them just as the main person, a friend of mine from many years ago, was making introductions as to who he was hosting for lunch. He introduced the Attorney General and PLO - the prof, amongst other notable business men and women. When it came time for my introduction, he said that I am "an Kenyan Asian celebrity who blah blah blah.." I stopped listening.

In all my years in my field as a media personality and a philanthropist and as a model, I just felt a bit shafted with that mediocre title. Who are we kidding? We live in a world where we go by titles. When at a social gathering the first question is 'What do you do?' and if you are not interesting enough the person chatting to you will move along swiftly!
I have worked years in the industry - I have presented radio shows, produced radio shows, presented and produced TV shows, written for newspapers, acted, been featured in music videos, been an editor of a magazine,written for top magazines and newspapers, done PR work for the likes of Chanel O, MTV and other top names,  been a judge at most major events, I have traveled the world and the entire Kenya meeting dignitaries as Miss India Kenya, given huge sums of monies and/or donations in kind as a philanthropist, I have produced events and kicked ass on major catwalks. I am a public speaker events locally and internationally and I have represented the voices that could not be heard on South Africa, Dubai, UK and other worldwide media and been on the cover of most if not all Kenyan magazines (hey no one else is going to write about it, I may as well....) and all I can get introduced as is 'A Kenyan Asian celeb'!

I was quite disgusted with my PR people. They have done a crap job and have been fired! Apparently I also featured in some top 100 list of the Asians in Kenya and they also downplayed my achievements.

Sorry, but this blog comes from pure ego!
That afternoon I left that group of people not feeling proud of myself at all. Yes sure, the AG knows me but  I do not want to be just known as a 'Kenyan Asian Celeb' - pardon the french - but what the f does that mean?
Excuse me while I go work on a project that will ensure I am never ever introduced or put on a list for just being pretty - I have worked my ass off to get where I am in my life. I can't say I have a particular job description at the moment, but I sure as hell know that I am far more than just a 'Kenyan Asian Celeb.'

(mumbles something that cannot be typed lest the readers of the blog lose respect for me!)

Until the next blog...arrogance has taken over and I am officially throwing a tantrum (ati Kenyan Asian Celeb...eh!)

Aren't you somebody?

I have been so inconsistent with this blog this year. I guess BAKE will not be throwing any awards my way any time soon! To be honest, I have missed sharing my thoughts and telling you about what has been going on but on the flip side I have been too busy doing a whole load of nothing!

Well, we start off with some bad news. My Father In Law passed away a month ago. That to me was heart breaking. I have seen death at different stages in my life and it always seems someone I love or my dogs or someone who is near and dear just decides that they are going to leave. No warning, no goodbyes, just gone, poof, like that!
The day my fil passed away was such a heavy day. In fact when I go back and think about the day I start to feel drained out and like I have no energy all over again. That day was eerie. It was weighty and I wish I had listened to my gut or my instinct so that somehow or the other I could have prayed for him, sent him healing, stopped it from happening. This is the thing about us human beings - we really think we are in control right? Me and my ego. As if we can stop fate?

In my life I have done plenty of soul searching. I found it hard though to answer Rajs question when he asked; where do we go when we die? I have no idea! I do have my own thoughts - my own theories, but they are mine. If I was to share them with him I would either find myself being driven to an asylum or being handed divorce papers. They are not that bizarre, but I do not think religion and science would ever agree with me! I told Raj that only he can take the spiritual journey that leads one to the answer of that question, if there is one.
I keep repeating myself though; each death occurs to teach us. To teach us that there is some finality in all that we do on this earth. We lust after things and people. We acquire, we save, we sometimes steal. We lie, we cheat, we hurt others. We laugh, we drink, we buy clothes and travel to fancy places. We marry, we make love (not always in that order), we fight, we cry, we write, we create and sometimes we destroy. But our end is all the same, and the fact is we take nothing with us. Who knows if we even take the memories.

Death is here to teach us to be nice to one another. Hang on, I am not even preaching - no waaay, because I know that in this here "I, Me, Myself" era it ain't gonna happen. I am just saying. Because when someone goes, you realize that all he or she takes with him is love - the love he/she was shown during their lifetime. Being a good human being, some say, helps you in the after life too- so really if you are a good person - even to your enemy, all your doing is helping yourself for now and for beyond.
But being good without expectation. Truth is you will be disappointed, hurt and let down if you expect others to be good just because you are.

The point I am trying to push is this; be good because you have the power to. Keep silent when you can talk crap. Stay on your path while others go astray. I read a quote today and I will it share it on my blog with you. A man looked around and he saw all the destruction on earth and he spoke to God and said 'God, why doesn't somebody do something?' and God said 'Aren't you somebody?'

The change we are looking for begins with us.

Have an awesome week. Be a blessing xo

Dear Daddy in Heaven

18th May 2012 marks 30 years since my daddy passed away.

Maya Angelou - When Great Trees Fall

When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.

Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.

And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.

Miss you N N G

N N G

Ever sat and wondered what life is really all about? Oh shit, here I am getting all deep and philosophical on you again and the thing is, I wonder really if my life experiences allow me to be a ‘philosopher’ of sorts. One person who has had amazing life experiences is my mother. She is genius and because she is who she is, sometimes she pisses people off. I love that about her.

Mother’s day is just around the corner and here my ode to a woman who has lived her life by her rules. Many years ago my mother walked out on her mother. My mother was 11 – her mother was recently divorced and had a new man in her life. In a nutshell he was not a nice man and when my mother talked about what had happened to her with her family and they confronted my granny, granny said ‘well I think she reads too many novels.” So my mum packed her suitcase and left for her auntie’s house- it was down the road and she walked it and she never forgave her mother. My granny, the former VOK presenter, passed on last year – my mum forgave her in her heart and let her go. 

My mother was always outspoken. True story she once approached by a photographer of Harpers Bazaar magazine to be on the cover. True story she was once mauled by a crowd in Mumbai – they mistook her for the current A list actress. True story, she has always been selfless and giving and unfortunately has suffered the consequences of being a soft hearted woman.

My mother is a second wife. My father found a way to marry her when his first wife refused a divorce. My father was just that guy. Oh, how did they meet? My mum was his secretary. What a cliche right? He pursued her much to the dismay of his family but he was in love and those closest to him knew it. Knowing my father, he would always get his way – now I know where I get it from. My mum tried to leave him, they had their fair share of arguments and fights – but he was adamant – and good looking and super suave- and once when he followed her to England and begged her to be in his life forever she caved.

Nairobi in the 60’s and 70’s and mum was the talk of the town. Of course her family disowned her – that is until they found out how rich her husband was. That’s when they all found a way to ‘forgive’ her. Even her mother – the real one- found a way into her life. My father spoilt her family, spoilt us kids, spoilt his kids from his first wife and spoilt his family. He was an all in all good guy and never denied his responsibility! He would make my mum dress up for him everyday – in a sari, with her hair done (salon done mind you).

Their love story is for an entirely different blog. This blog is for MOM!

My father died 10 years into their marriage. He was shit loaded to say the least. Let’s just put it this way – my mum loved to drink vimto, he bought her the vimto factory in Kisumu. Mother was not business savvy. Mother trusted way too many people and as people go – they took advantage. Unfortunately, these were not just “people” – these people were “family”.

When I got married I spoke of my family as Nick, my brother and my mum. That’s it. Oh yes, there is an extended family but my arse have they ever made me feel a part of anything! Let me see – when times were good, people were around us. There were parties and food and drinks would flow. She was the hostess with the mostest! Her way of dressing was unique. Her beauty in undeniable. Her style and demeanor – most women try and impersonate until today.

The thing about my mother is she is an honest soul. She never let my brothers or I get away with lying or borrowing things without returning them. She was strict with us. We grew up alcohol and cigarette free. I dabbled – but when she found out I was pounded! Hey my thing was that someone had to keep my fathers memory alive. But my father was more than his whiskey and cigarettes – and that is where we get our philanthropic side from I suppose.

So back to mum. Honesty makes you enemies. She was so blunt and outspoken that people began to distance themselves. The truth hurts I suppose. We live in a world where lies and ass kissing gets you to where you need to be. My mother would have none of it. If you did her wrong or if you lied, she would catch you out and ensure you knew that she is not to be lied to.

Alas, lies were what were being told to her left, right and center. May be it is because we were too young to defend her or stand by her. But she gave – diamonds, money, title deeds to “family” and “friends” and when time came for her to ask for her things back – she was given a cold shoulder.

One time a member of the family put a gun to her head and demanded money - another time, she was burnt with a hot skewer by the same guy - again, for money. You think these things only happen in movies.

The thing about mum is that she stood by her principle. In a world where beauty can get you anything – she stood her ground. A man she dated for a while, after my dad died, offered she move in with him in a big house in a plush estate, but without the children was the condition. The kids could stay in Loresho – school fees paid for, rent paid for, with a cook – but no mum. I have to say he had balls and obviously did not know my mum well enough despite dating her for 7 years. Suffice to say that that man is no longer in her life.

She sacrificed so much for us and other people.She is living a real life, like it or lump it – you have to accept her for who she is. Today she is more outspoken than ever before and has a bit of a hard heart.  The hard heart is because of all the nasty people who treated her like shit when they had the power to do otherwise – am sure they are proud. I wish she had it from day one – then she would not be in the position she is today. But she does not complain – not even a bit. 

This is to my mummy who is a beautiful soul and despite the hard journey life has given her remains steadfast, gorgeous and loving to the people that matter most in her life.

I love you momma and always will...happy mother's day! Thanks for teaching me to stop giving a shit about those who don't really give a shit about you.

(By the way, she tells some bad ass rude jokes too)

BAKE (not a cake...)

Hello! I am super intrigued by the blogging world. It is like a hidden secret, almost a treasure. There are a huge amount of people who do this seriously and consistently. Not only that, they write about serious stuff. From technology, agriculture, politics, sports, poetry - it is amazing!
The reason I know this is because I am on the judging panel for BAKE - Bloggers Association of Kenya. Have a look here - bloggers.or.ke or www.bake.or.ke

I have to say I was super honored to be asked and to be part of a fantastic panel - who made me laugh out loud a lot (LOLAL). I am somewhat humbled to be associated to the Bloggers of Kenya. In a word - wow! There is so much creativity and talent in this KE of ours!

The award ceremony is this Saturday at Serena - I am super excited and looking for something FAB to wear! Call me a geek, but I say geek-ism is the new black baby and I am embracing it. It is cool to know your isht when it comes to blogging and tweeting and all things that we left to the nerd herd (the smart people)- I have a thousand and ten things to learn but from this point on I am going to take it seriously and blog so that I can be worthy of being called a serious blogger.

Happy days.  :D

Breath, Breathe...

Hey bleeps (blog peeps)!
How are you? I know, I know, it has been forever since I blogged. First off, I have to dedicate this blog to my doggie Sanka whose untimely death still has me tearing up. I am an animal lover and I totally blame myself for his death and I really wish he was still here. Anyway, my consolation is that we all have a time to depart, and his came sooner than I had ever anticipated. So Sanka man, this one is for you.

Now, here is how my life has been - chaotic to say the least. I am shedding kilos like I am running 10kms daily! I tell you my days are so unpredictable but so busy that I find it hard to put food in my mouth - only because my schedule is crazy. To be honest, I am not proud of this, I am one of those healthy humans - eat right, exercise right and look good. The hotch potch of my diary is unsettling to me. Ah well, I need a PA and when that happens perhaps my life will go back to normal. Or I need a clone - either way, I need someone as anal as I running around the way I do!

So this blogging stuff is serious business huh? The reason I say so is because I have been asked to do something for some people regarding blogs. Sounding vague as am not sure if it is top secret or not. If not, in my next blog I will reveal all - but for now, I like the mystery element of this story. Basically if you are a blogger, I have major power over you (cue evil laugh.....) I am kidding, but I will know more on the morrow and in turn I shall put you in the loop.

Other than that Ariyana is talking and of course knows the word No really well - so much so that she uses it a  lot especially with me. I love her to bits and cannot believe that she is growing at such a super fast pace. She is another reason I cannot seem to keep any weight on. The girl is on the go all the time. She is ready to discover and try new things at any given chance. God bless her. Raj said to me tonight that before we know it we will be planning her wedding. I looked at him and said 'you are totally jumping the gun' and he said 'well, there is a long way to go and we do have plenty to go through but trust me, time will fly.' This is the sad but true fact.
Time is not on our side. As human beings we are always running after what should be or what could be. We plan dates and meetings, holidays and trips without actually living in the present. How many times do we stop and savor the moment. We are quick to complain and very slow to give thanks. We always plan for the future but don't stop and live in the present.

Someone told me that our breath is important - we breathe in and out - every time we do so, we have less breaths to take here on this earth. Our number of breaths have been granted to us and when we use them all then we can breathe no more. How much breath do we waste on bitching and moaning? How much breath do we waste on complete and utter crap? Give thanks for your breath. Let it be slow and deliberate and when you breathe give thanks for that moment, you know it will never come back and you know it brings you closer to the next.

Aah, philosophy. My half brother loves his philosophy. Oh yes, I have an entire family that I need to tell you about. But that is for another day and time. But the few times I spoke to him in my adulthood, I realized that he likes to think he is a philosopher. May be he is - in his own way. Who am I to judge?

I have just been handed a cup of hot chocolate with lil marshmallows in it. Its raining outside and my husband has told me that I need to get off the laptop and 'chill'. I have worked hard this weekend and I need a break. I will adhere to his simple request (I know, can he stop giving me reasons to fall in love with him over and over again?) and log off now..
Thanks for allowing me to share and give you a glimpse into my pink world..

My dear Sanka,
I love you loads and always will. Your life was super precious and I am so glad you were a part of mine. Rest well in doggie heaven you cute monster- you are missed dearly my cuddly friend.
RIP Sanku
Pink xxx

Old Wife!

Hello my blog peeps. Thanks for reading my blog and you do read it from all over the world. Asante :)

As I type I am still waiting for the city council to provide my home with water so basically - I have no water, we had no electricity for two hours the other night and we had no internet for over a week. I was losing the plot! I was, in a sense, living in simpler times but I was pulling my hair out. Ah yes, I also have no nanny - she called in sick! How spoiled am I? I am so used to things being done and being there I just take it for granted, and God forbid something stops in its supply or service for even as little as two hours, I am falling apart. I do have to admit, I am addicted to twitter and, now because of my daughter, Mickey Mouse Club House, and I like having things work and function. I wouldn't say that I have OCD - but I am a bit obsessive and compulsive. I told you before, I need a good therapist! Whooosaaaaa

So, did I tell you about the 3 days before my birthday and how the dentist pulled my tooth out and then the following week my gum got an infection and then I got a temporary tooth to put there but because of the infection I cannot use it! I have nice friends. They must have noted that I am kinda mapengo (without a tooth) but they did not say a thing. It is toward the back of my mouth and because I have a wide smile you tend to notice it. Also, because its a gap it looks black so if you notice it for a second it looks like I have a rotten tooth! It is kind of sad really, but I take it in my stride and with humour. If you see it and point it out, I will totally make fun of it with you - so feel free!

So, remember the show I told you about that was on the back burner? Well, am told that the producer of the show changed and because I was involved in it, the show was trashed. Ah, another boost to the ego. Then I found out who the producer person is and it all made sense. I wonder how treading on me makes you higher? But hey, whatever floats your boat. It is amazing how much politics we play in media! Shame! Not only in media though, all around us there are those really miserable people who enjoy attempting to make your life unhappy.
I just shrug my shoulders and throw up two fingers. I am so past the point of giving a haq! If it is in my destiny, no one can stop it from coming to life. No one. Even the Bible says so! Do these people not know it? 

I am looking out the window and wondering what the weather is doing! It needs to decide if it is going to rain or shine. These 5 minute showers are doing nothing for my washing, my plants, my outdoor play time with Ariyana. Also, exciting news - there is a wedding in the family and it is an outdoor one, so the rain needs to behave (if that makes any sense)! I have heard an old wives tail that if you put a knife in the ground it keeps the rain away... Do you think these old wives (by the way when does when become an old wife? Is it when you reach a certain age or when your husband tells you he is finding a new one?) have any remedies for nannies not showing?

Fab week my lovelies..don't let your haters, or any other negative circumstance, get you down!

Roberto Cavalli...

So here I am a year older. It feels different. I feel more confident in my skin, I have stopped the need to people please as I know my worth and most importantly I am grateful for the life I have had and what is in store for me! Thank you for the birthday wishes and the special messages that came through to me via twitter, facebook (or as it is now known as- stalkerbook) and text messages or phone calls.

I had a blast. The reason; I didn't plan anything with anyone but myself and whoever wanted to was very free to join me. I have to say by the end of the day, alongside my very pish posh friends and family, I celebrated with the Pratts, Gecagas, Gichurus and Martha Karua herself. How cool am I. Of course, this just meant I was in the right place at the right time with the Wokabis, Patels, Sehmis and Ghelanis! Oh look, there is me, name dropping! One more name I must drop is Roberto Cavalli as he too made an appearance at my celebrations through his Vodka, sent from a special friend. How cool am I?

But my week was full of the celebs. I wined and whined with Jeff Koinange. He is a cool dude. No matter what anyone says, he is who he is and has achieved plenty! It is so nice to hang out with like minded individuals. We had such a laugh over 4pm glasses of wine, mid week! Then I got to lunch with Caroline Mutoko who is also such a fun babe. I remember once at Kiss FM I walked in for my shift and made a comment about me being hungry - as you do when at work. Chick ordered me a box full of donuts that I could munch away on for the next four hours. Say what you may, but only a good person does that.

I partied on Friday and my daughter partied on Saturday. She was invited to party after party, not bad for a 16 month old. It is ok when mommy is ushering her to all the parties, I am sure I won't be this excited about her social life when she hits 16! So, the gossip at one of the parties caught me off guard totally! So, a few weeks ago I did a show stopper at a fashion show at Zen Garden. I enjoyed it, in fact another celeb, Fareed Khimani did my ego some good when he introduced me on stage, it was fun.
Turns out, according to word about the crowd (or may be one unhappy individual), someone should have come backstage to 'tell pinky to pull her stomach in as it is bulging'. Shock! Eh! Errr, I think when am on stage, wearing something that reveals my stomach, I suck it in- even though I do not need to. Sorry to sound like an arrogant beeyach, but I work hard on my body and I am not in denial nor do I like lying to myself, but I know my stomach was not bulging. Even if it was - I stopped the show, not the person who made that comment!

Sometimes things are said that make me SMHOL- shake my head out loud, for lack of a better term. The older I get the more I get that people will say whatever, whenever. Sometimes just to make them feel better about their own lives. Whatever, fact is that I have worked to get where I am, to be able to name drop and sip some Roberto Cavalli Vodka and to get up on stage and do my thing when asked to. Like it or lump it!
Happy Birthday to me..here's to saggy bits and bobs that I am working toward cosmetically enhance!

StupidQuestion...

I seem to attract plenty of stupid questions, best response...stupid answers! Here is one..

At a fashion show in December one of the designers came up to me and said: "Aren't you 38 and have like 3 kids?"
My reply: "No actually, I am 80 and I ate two of my kids which has kept my youthful look"
He was trying to be a bitch about my age and how long I have been modelling for and that 'mothers' should not model. Of course he called me when he saw me in the paper to ask me to model for him. Dude, if you upset by older models, Heidi Klum, Cindy Crawford and the rest of them need to be afraid as am sure they are all dying to work with you!

Mumbai...Bye Bye

There's no place like home, there's no place like home...Just like Dorothy in with Wizard of Oz, this time when I went away, I heard myself saying that a lot. Strange how one changes. Before I was ready to up and move to Mumbai, I had even decorated my flat in my head and bought a car in my mind. Do not get me wrong, I still love the hustle and bustle and the vibe of the city of Mumbai but when I got home I was so in love with my country and my home and my dogs and everything about my home.

Although it was a bit scary to come back to stories of friends and even family being robbed or almost being robbed. People breaking in with knives and guns. The sad part was that some really amazing dogs had been killed by thugs (I am an animal lover), my heart broke for them! I don't understand it and is it ever going to get better?
I remember some of my conversations with my cousin, her husband and their friends in Mumbai were about 2012 and the end of the world. In the Bhagvad Gita and in other Holly Books, they talk about the end coming and us face dark ages. To me, this is all dark - greed, poverty, war, sickness, etc. But according to them this is just the beginning. Think of the worst of the worst happening - their example was the relationship so sacred - parent and child and think of that being turned into a romantic relationship and it being the norm - when that happens then the world will end. I was gobsmacked, I even felt a little bit ill and the word that came to mind was 'eeeeeeew'.

I think it is up to us to work toward being better people. We need to find out spiritual side and nurture it because only then will we take responsibility for the direction of our lives. Today lying is second nature to some people, they shrug their shoulders and just say what pleases them so that their lives are made easier. Some people even have the energy to sit and plan and plot on how to make others lives a misery. That is just sad, instead use that energy to better your own life. Where are we headed?

I talk like this today perhaps because I am a parent. I feel responsible for someone else's life and I want her future to be pretty. I also want her to be a good human being and not question herself when her friends are doing the complete opposite. We should all be headed down the same road and wanting more or less the same goals. We want to bring up good human beings because they will better this world. I don't want, in generations to come, my descendant to be sleeping with another one of my descendants! Yuk

The point I am making is this - if 2012 is  meant to be a year of change (or even the end) let us begin with changing ourselves and teaching our children the same.Also, let us build our home, our country. I want to be able to travel and say I am from Kenya with pride. I want good news to be the headlines. I want to be on holiday and have someone from back home call me with something amazing that has happened at home - because this is my home and I really need it to be a place I love and not fear.

2012 the year of the hustler

Happy 2012. Of course I made a mistake on my twitter timeline and said goodbye to 2012 - but it is amazing, you think no one is listening until you make a mistake; that is when you know. That was our rule of thumb on radio too, never ever think no one is listening, even if you are on the graveyard shift (1am to 5am) and if you want to know, just make a teeny tiny error and watch the phone lines light up!

Have you resolved to do anything? I have! I want to be a better cook. My mom is a bad ass cook and to be honest, I can be better in the kitchen, I just find it such a drag. I mean you spend hours chopping, cleaning, cutting, etc and then it literally takes all of two minutes to finish the prepared meal. My motto is can cook, won't cook but that is all about to change in the oh twelve. I have to do my mother proud.

So it has been a while since I blogged right? I had gone off blogging because well, I had to take care of me and my health and then I just got lazy. The end of 2011 was a lazy time for me, but I make no excuses for it, I needed time off and I took it! I also attracted some silly drama in my life, but you know me, where I am, drama follows. It is laughable to be honest, but like one of my statuses on FB said - if I hurt you in 2011, if I misbehaved with you in 2011 blah blah do not hesitate..slap yourself, it must have been your fault. I have stopped being the nice guy. Now a days I speak my mind because I have realized no one is waiting to give you a medal for good behavior and if someone has royally pissed me off, believe you me, they will know it. They call me a bitch and I will make good use of the title.

Ariyana is growing and is talking, it is adorable to hear the words come out of her mouth and her try to say things that her mother and father are saying (note to self, the bad words must stop). I do enjoy motherhood but hats off to mothers of two or three or more. Wow! Those are true women of substance!

Work for 2012 - so much! I cannot wait to get back from a trip I am planning to unleash the pink in me. 2012 is the year baby (or so everyone says), but it is!

Speaking work by the way, I have to complain about service in this country. What is up with the service industry? Do managers not take enough time to train their employees? And with the current trend of inflated prices one really would appreciate a smile at the supermarket or from the waiter at Java. I need to blog about the instances and my encounters - trust me, they have been super entertaining but if one thing is letting us down it is employees who would rather be somewhere else and are just at a job for the pay. Do you have any experiences?

Next blog before I travel. Happy 2012 again. Hustle well this year..