Talumba Katawala

are you a TOMBASANA?

2012-02-09T14:25:00.004+02:00

This Christmas I got a gift that I absolutely loved and thought all of you should get a chance to have one.

Allow me to introduce Celia Pale (pictured) ; she's a Mozambican freelance Illustrator and textile designer, based near Toulouse, France.

I took a walk with her around the block and snapped these pictures of a couple of my personal favorites, while she talked about her work.

She designs these really nice pieces that belong to a line called Tombasana witch means 'women' in a dialect witch I cannot specify right now…but it's either Changana or Bitonga, I don't know… you find out.

Tombasana brings you an original fashion, ethical and fair where African style combines ethnic inspired and contemporary aesthetics.

If you were here around December time, you probably heard about her during the Mozambique Fashion Week. She participated in the Young Designers exhibition.

The Tombasana designs and products are part of a sustainable production policy and made through natural materials that generate a minimum impact on the environment. All the products are is produced in a workshop in here in Mozambique, more specifically Maputo, under the rules of fair trade, for women who work to support their families.

Tombasana has a variety of really cute jewelry, handbags, accessories, belts and you name it. Not to mention the decorative objects for your home!

Visit the website for more information.

[http://www.tombasana.com/boutique/]

Share your love

2012-02-07T13:22:00.002+02:00

I spent this whole weekend paying extra attention to my little sister Jeruza, who’s 12 years old and is now breaking into teenage hood, and frankly I’m a little scared.

The more time I would spend with her, the more I would realize that I dont know her as well as I thought I did...and it occurred to me, we DO take a lot for granted. Whether it’s a friend, a girl or boy friend, husband or wife, brother or sister. We never take the time, to just appreciate and LOVE this special person, and go out of our way to do something nice for them.

Because honestly, it won’t take that much out of your busy schedule, to just acknowledge that person.. Take them out to lunch, have a drink together, call them just because you heard their favorite song on the radio.

And the worst thing is, down the line, this special person will fade away, into the distant past (...oh but I wont late you fade Jeruza). And you’ll only notice it when you turn back, for that support you always knew would be there, and guess what, its not.

I dunno about you, but I’m going to dedicate one week every month to spend with that special person, and cement that special bond…

Peace.

Happy Birthday to Joy!

2012-01-23T11:44:00.001+02:00

Throughout my time here and there, I have met a people who have made their mark on my life and hold a very special place wherever I find myself…

Johara, my best friend, is one of those people that keep leaving marks and her place gets bigger and bigger the more I get to know her.

She’s taught me a lot of things I didn’t know about myself. Lessons taught in jokes, taught in space and taught through time.

And I personally think that friends like that, don’t come around very often….and Johara…My beautiful Joy, I’m so glad you here!

And this year my girl….

Is the year for freedom.

Time for new things…

Gold streaks of summer

2012-01-16T12:51:00.003+02:00

Possibilities are exciting, I live for them, I live them…in fact my middle name is Possibilities. I know that the choices I make in my life are the only choices I could have made at the time. It is pointless to regret my decisions, or to think I could have made a better one or a different one- these are the things that add texture and liveliness to our lives, without them, there is no 'you'. But with every road you choose, it's impossible not to wonder what could have been, if I'd gone left, instead of right. It's hard to know what possibility you'd given up to chase another, and of course it's hard to accept that you will probably never know exactly what it is that you have given up by making the choices you do.

But choices must be made. That's it…..time will not stand still for my indecisiveness. Sometimes I question whether I'm making certain choices for the right reason. Today, I am wondering why I chose to be here…where I am now.

Chasing love….. And I feel like I've gone through enough at this point to understand the value and rarity of that. And I'm proud to say, I've finally learned to appreciate it.

Have I REALLY finally learned to appreciate that which I have? I have always made decisions based on how interesting, or colorful they are. Would this be a good story to tell, would this go well in a book? Will I see something I have never seen before? Will I learn something I could not have learned anywhere else?

Most of the time life changing experiences involved me moving myself somewhere totally new, often alone, and struggling through all the unseen issues that one must adapt to in a new environment.

I have never been happier. This makes me wonder, if it's necessary for me to make my life so much harder, lonelier and unpredictable. Is this the ONLY way to have a good story to tell, to see something I've never seen before, to learn something I could not have learned?

As I get older I start to see things in a different way. I've been running and running, what would life be like if I just stood still? Certainly I'm old enough to know now that I could never escape experience, that it is to be had no matter where you are or what you are doing. It makes me wonder, perhaps there is an adventure out there that doesn't require loneliness, or difficulty.

The future is full of uncertainty and I feel like after six months unpredictable days and nights someone has hit the fast forward button, and all of a sudden I've got to make some decisions, and fast. It is not a curse to choose between one good thing, and another.

Last week I took a job offer at my old office and now I'm back to my 8-5. I have no doubt that it will be a great adventure. At the same time, I'm still trying to move to Norway to start my classes, which I've had to post pone till August 2013 (that seems so far away…). I don't know what will happen, but I know that either way I will be happy. Don't ask me how :)

In spite of all this though, I am still afraid. I remember when I was younger, every time I would get the last pages of a book I was really enjoying reading, I would get really sad. And when I would get to the last page, I would cry.

When things are good, it's hard to get to the end. I don't know what I am more afraid of, the end of things as they are, or the possibility that I am not yet ready for what's next to come.

But that's silly. We're NEVER ready! I'm really not ready. But there's no turning back, so here I come.

bitter/sweet

2012-01-07T08:59:00.001+02:00

Damn,

I haven't written in a while, well…actually Ithat’s not true, I have …but I haven’t posted anything in a while, which is a pitty since these are the best times, the blissful times, the times when my heart is not afraid and this life is blessing me with something that I can only thank the universe, and all you people for, which is peace of mind, and happiness

These past few months were not easy, but to be honest, none of the things which shape us ever are easy. What have I learned? So much. I learned how much love can leave a deep wound in your heart.

You’re thinking to yourself right now, “This isn’t new to me.”, and in a way it isn't- but let me finish my thought …now after 22 years I have given my heart to many chances, and exposed it to many elements, and it has been used and beaten into new shapes, sometimes unrecognizeable, sometimes, with no sign of life… but scars are not the only things these wounds gave me…

Wounds...

… wounds give us a chance to heal, and to experience the beauty and the wonder of that healing. The scars will remind us for the rest of our lives, not of the mistakes we made, but of the bravery we are capable of. Through all the hardship, our hearts keep beating, even when you feel like you cant keep going, we all have that one little thing that keeps us pushing…we all have a purpose. Or Faith. Whether it be in God, or in science, or in humanity… it pulls us through the impossible obstacles of misfortune and consequence…a.k.a. heartache, to the other side, where we get a chance to take a breath of fresh air, and to feel like survivors, reborn with greater self-love, compassion, empathy and strength.

I wish I could tell you the reasons that led to my breakup, but it would be unnecessary to dwell on the past when I have so many good things to tell you about the present.

All this to say…I fell in love again. I totally didn't mean to! But he has taught me so much in the five months I've known him, just like those I've loved before him, and at the same time in a way I've never experienced before, and never will again. I don't know what will happen between him and I in a month, or a year. I just hope he knows, for the rest of his life, how much I will always appreciate his being a part of my life, and how much love I have and will always have for him.

What do I know about life?

all I know is what I've lived, and in this moment I am thankful, for everything, and I can only hope that you are happy enough to be thankful, too.

SYNTHESISE

2011-11-29T13:53:00.001+02:00

feelings that burst outta nowhere are hard to put into words.

i just let it come over and take charge of the moment and indulge myself.

happiness is what it is.

Que Que?

2011-10-24T11:11:00.003+02:00

the last days have found me very productive, although i have been doing things in a very chaotic manner. i have been dedicating good part of my time to my art direction work for the coming school year, which is bringing me great satisfaction and excitement. It is bothering me that i am not really seeing a lot of my independent production finished, I cant seem to finish any of the stuff start, and my online presence is being sort of neglected lately. I really apologize for all the unanswered emails, messages and comments. the day is just too short, the energy runs out sooner than I want it to, and my time on the computer really has to be limited to what really matters (summer is on full swing in the streets of Maputo). My slow rhythm and inability to get organized is not really compatible with all the stuff i need to get done.

so lately i have been doing this...
I have been on the verge of freaking out since Sunday morning. Actually, I take that back. I have been freaking out since Sunday. I am a mess..

When I get this way, I try to fill my days with work and my nights with friends.

The best nights are spent with friends. Eating, laughing at whatever ridiculous thing is going around town , watching random things on TV and marveling at how AWESOME life truly is....

Nothing special, but special to me.

nar·co·lep·sy (närk-lps)

2011-09-30T09:30:00.000+02:00

I woke up this morning in a really ugly mood for some reason. I was having one of those narcoleptic sorts of days yesterday where I'd get all amped up like, 'ALRIGHT! Gonna start painting/ cleaning/ doing my have-to-do's now!" ...and then instead of going for the paintbrush, or cleaning up, or buying stuff I need, I'd go straight into my bed and pass out, Zzzz. It's like there was me... facing off Productivity, and I totally faked that bitch out.

So naturally due to my excessive amount of sleep, I woke up at 7:30 this morning without an alarm, got up and had my cereal but it was a disgruntled affair because I had no cigarette (since buying cigarettes was on my list of things I didn't do yesterday).

The iPod shuffle gods were dually disappointing too, playing all sort of mushy sad garbledy-gook (that’s supposed to be interpreted as something you wouldn’t want to hear.) when all I wanted was some Nirvana or something, and not the sad shit, I mean the 'I wanna fuck you up but I don't care enough" stuff. Or something that would pick-me up and make me want to take over the world, or at least clean up after myself.

I thought maybe since I was deprived of one habit I should pick up another, more productive one so I resolved to read the news each morning, even though I swore off it after listening to NPR (National Public Radio) so excessively and I started to have anxiety attacks. So I go to Yahoo! News ,I thought I'd start off with some soft, crappy news, and it gave me exactly that… crap.

Why am in this wretched state, you maybe asking yourself…. Well for starters, I’m currently unemployed (I didn’t get fired or anything like that), I left my job shortly after getting my acceptance letter from the school I applied to in Oslo.

Now, I have the antagonizing task of waiting to hear the response from the Norwegian immigrations office. I detest waiting.

The more I wait the more frustrated I get. I can’t muster up any energy to the anything at all. And because of that, I have gained a significant amount of weight from all the anxious eating I’ve been doing. I’m not bothered by it….don’t get me wrong, I kinda like it actually. But it’s just a reflection on how unproductive I’ve been the past month.

Goodness, I cant believe I actually have this much to say about…nothing.

No longer part of an entity.

2011-08-30T10:07:00.000+02:00

I stayed up last night, smoking ____ and eating so much food. I'm becoming overwhelmingly gluttonous.

8 cookies cookies later, I made it to bed.

Bed.

I have been having some really depressing dreams lately. Most of them include getting into trouble, the other night I got arrested for a crime I didn't commit. I got let loose only because one of the officers on duty remembered me as he is also the DHL delivery guy who comes to the office I work at every day. I dream people go thru my belongings and find things they wouldn’t approve of, I dream my mother can read my mind, I even dreamt I was crying and woke up crying. It was incredibly disturbing.

Please refer to these pictures for more interesting people…

Made in Xipamanine

2011-08-22T12:17:00.002+02:00

So I’m back to my town.

It felt incredible to get back and be overwhelmed with that oh so familiar feeling of being home!

Of course I was asked by everyone what my trip was like and I remember saying to friend “all I can say is that I have a further more appreciation for being here in this country, and being part of this society. Even with all it's faults. After the years I spent in the US, I don’t think I ever learnt to value all the things that Mozambique, more specifically, Maputo, is made of. Coming back from the US, I was resentful towards the American lifestyle, and their whole way of being that I think I never really took the time to appreciate being here. Now, I feel like there’s so much to value about my people, my country, and our lifestyle. Europeans are, in a way, simplistic. I feel like that’s something we as Mozambican relate to.” But, it’s difficult to not always want to compare, I think we as humans we base a lot of our opinions on comparisons, “I wouldn’t say this is better than that…” I continued “But there’s a lot of things that we can take from their approach that would be relatable here. And I feel like we tend to take a lot thing for granted here… things that you would never find anywhere else. Freedom.”

And on that note, I decided it was time cut my hair off. Not to symbolize anything, it was completely impulsive, just like any of my great ideas it started out with “Fck it!” and then, “Just cut it off.”

And now I have embarked on a journey to discovering my roots (in the hair sense), and seeing how much confidence I really have. I have started locking my hair to create dreads.

To maintain them and treat them right, I got to Xipamanini market, on Avenida Robby Brothers, it's one of Maputo's oldest markets, a hustling and bustling outdoor jumble of stalls, and it's just the place to stock up on… well, anything.

This weekend I took my sisters along with me to see if they pick on some inspiration.

Rafael, my dread master, takes really good care of me among other ladies who literally wait in like to have their dreads tightened.

Surprisingly it hasn’t affected me at all. I think other people react to it more than I do.

I had a girlfriend of mine who said that “Men are put off by women with locks.” And I was like, “Perfect! That’s exactly what I need.” But that got me wondering if there was any truth to her statement. She said that they’re perceived as “Butch” or “Masculine.” I recall reading over something about this being an issue in some communities where dreads are considered a more of a ‘man’s style’. I don’t know about that, I have relatives and friends who are female and wear dreads that are beautiful, its culture its not gender oriented old and young wear them, so I don’t know what she was trying to get at.

There are lot’s of negative stereotypes that accompany dreads; witch I’m sure you’ve heard before; thankfully most men and women don’t hold them as valid. But then again dreads may not have anything to do with it at all.
All I’m saying is, it’s two-thousand eleven, get over yourselves!

As you would expect, as I was doing maintenance, I chatted up some ladies about their idea of the hair style and the stereo types, and none of them seemed phased by the idea of men not being attracted to them. They were mostly contented with the amount of time it saves them and how it favors their economical situation. Touché ladies… Touché.

I think it has to do with confidence. Do you have that confidence?

You can work most any look if you feel and act like you were meant to be in it. Men or Women. Strut your stuff, work what ya got. Shoulders back, head up, eyes forward, proud like a motherf**k*r.

here i am again...

2011-07-17T00:01:00.001+02:00

birthdays get less meaningful every year... I dont know if it's the actual thought of getting older that gets ... well, old... or if it's the idea of always having to make it such a big fucking deal.

Just now a friend of mine asked if I was going to have a party or go out or something, and I said, "I am born everyday. I celebrate everyday. " and then he's all "So are you...going to do something special or ...?"

Today is a special day, not only because it was my first day alive 22 years ago, but because I feel like I have spent this time well, and i have a lot of things to accomplish with the time will come.

These few months I have spent away from Maputo have been incredibly insightful.

These countries I have visited have been a true classroom.

I have plenty of things to celebrate, and I dont think it's going to be reserved only for the 17th of July.

So you want to know what I have planned for my birthday?

reading, writing, listning...speaking.

all that....

at once!

im going to go crazy!

this is too real for tv...

2011-07-13T18:24:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I get put into situations where I have a choice, to be honest, or to be really creative with my honesty, you know? Ok, maybe not, you could call it lying, but that's not fun. Let me attempt to explain this.

Sometimes you're having a conversation with someone, let's say...a stranger, someone you're recently met and the subject get heavy, or personal, so you have a choice to take the conversation to another level, and be honest and really say what you feel. But say you also have a full camera crew filming and recording everything you say with high quality equipment.

My boss, Per Heimly, the photographer I'm interning with here in Oslo (this is the last time I'm going to remind of who he is, Ok?), is being filmed for a "Reality" TV show for a Norwegian network, about a woman who dates different single celebrities to get a look into their lifestyle with their significant others. Interesting right?

But how do you do that? How do you trust someone whom you've just met to let them into the intricate details of your life? And how do you do this on TV?

So we sat around had a few drinks and dinner as the crew filmed him in his environment .

Dictionary.com defines trust as reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. A simple, straight forward definition right?

Is it wrong that you trust someone even if you've only know them for a few minutes? Or is there another name for that?

How come you can know people for a long time and never trust them?

Why do some relationships seem more important than the ones you've had for a long time?

How come you can know people for a long time and never trust them?

Why do some relationships seem more important than the ones you've had for a long time?

I'm sure this must be confusing you, it's not your fault, my brain is pretty fogged right now.

somewhere in the north of norway

2011-06-30T02:14:00.003+02:00

Before I tell you what I'm up to now, let me just a share a little trip I went on about a week ago.
Per Heimly, the photographer whom I'n interning with, was invited to inagurate a an event that happens yearly in a small little village... town... whatever, in the North of Norway called Snubba. This place is known for its eccentric people, the Laplanders.

I was lucky enough to have visited a side of the world so pure and mystical and so absolutely... boring.
I heard that the population of this pretty little place have an elevated number of booze abusers. I dont blame them... if I lived there I would get drunk all freaking day. Beer and bacon for breakfast.

Needless to say, I had plenty of time to think about things...you know, because I normally dont. I dont take enough time to enjoy things, I mean, I do naturally... but there are certain moments that I'm just so overwhelmed with fear, or anxiety that it over powers my senses and takes me to a place that I dont like to go to very often, Doubt. Like, I doubt my ability to make good or smart decisions.

Sometimes, I just put myself in situations just to see how far I can take it, or where it will go and if I had predicted it right... it's not really the "danger" that makes me do this. I think it's the possibility that it may not go as I predicted or planned... so it becomes more exciting or whatever. And if it does, I get some sort of unexplainable pleasure out of it. Like manipulation, but not in a bad sense.

I would never put myself in a situation I know I cant get out of... but, just the thought that it may not go as planned excites me!

Like, getting invited to some chicks house whom you've just met to watch the midnight sun, in the north of norway, with a dead cellphone battery and no sense of direction to where your temporary 'home' is.

I could have made a safe decision and said 'No thanks.' and stuck to my crew and made my way safely to bed. But I stuck around, because I wanted to know if there's anything these people know that I dont.

And so through all these unpredictable encounters, interesting topics of conversations have been discussed. I remember once sharing my thoughts with stranger about time, and all the wonders around it. How sometimes your memories seem to be lost in time. Like for instance, there are people that you meet who sort of melt into your life so perfectly. I've only lived in Maputo for about 5 years now, and the friends that I've made there, it's hard to remember a life where they werent here. I have strange flashbacks of the US and think " Why wasnt So and so there?"

And how time sometimes seems to slip right out of your fingers, you can never wake up early enough or get to bed early enough before the day is gone and you still havent done your laundry. So, tomorrow you gotta wake up early to get it done. Before you know it's july and you have a few weeks to see the rest of Europe.

And how time can be spent in so many different ways...and just the possibilities of the things you could do...

I remember someone asked me, "What do you think is more valuable, time or money? Because, I like to relax, you know, take it easy. I only work if I need money. If I have enough money to live, I dont need to work anymore then that. So I have plenty of time to hang around and relax. I try to work the least possible. Easy money, you can call it. so, time or money?" and I just laughed and thought about it for second and said "Money, of course. Because with money, you can buy time. You can afford not to do anything. And, easy money doesnt last." and this led to a rather extensive discussion of the matter that I will spare you from.

I also remember a conversation where we came to an agreement that love is a dirty business. It's like talking about politics or religion. We just cant get to the bottom of it. We talked about cheating and how to deal, what is acceptable and so on. Honestly speaking, I cant give a direct answer as to what is right or wrong, I just think it's such a sensitive subject that there is no right or wrong, I guess its just about dealing with it the best way you can. But I dont know...I get carried away and start talking a bunch of crap...

Let met just end with this...I still have so much to learn. I'm flawed and openly learning to be a good person. I can only hope that the good spirt that carries me through this, the feeling that shines through my eyes, smile and fingertips, is a sign that I'm doing something... good

the differences between people

2011-06-16T01:26:00.002+02:00

a few weeks ago... well, ok... I'm not really sure when it was, it could have been last week or two days ago, I dont know. Ok, let me try this again. A few blurred days ago a friend I had just met told me something over a glass of wine [ a few glasses of wine] he said something that has kept me thinking until right now. He said "The differences between people is the best thing you'll ever learn." between sips of the glass and I sat there thinking... silently.

And here I am a few days later. Every single person I have met since he said that, I've looked at them...well.. differently. You see, there's really not that much that goes into understanding people. The second you can agree on your differences, you can talk about anything. You can get past those small differences like, weight , height, color, religion, you can start to maybe laugh about it. So you actually get a chance to know each other.

Seeing as how I dont know anyone here and as you would guess, every person I meet is different from the next one. Different careers, different opinions and different lifestyles. It's great for me to meet people with an open mind, it becomes easier for me to create new relationships with people and they become extraordinary friends.

Traveling is probably the test of that. The second you're out of your comfort zone, where you know the food and you know the language the street names and all the shortcuts, and you when you get to an unfamiliar place, and all the sudden you dont even know who you are. So you become really closed in, afraid to speak and sound stupid, or I dont know...you're just really uncomfortable and constantly counting your money planning everything you do, and when it comes to meeting people..your brain is too busy doubting every single person, so you're forced to have a very lonely dinner at your hotel.

Its ok to feel like that. I know people get scammed or meet the wrong kind people. I've heard stories of people who've had their wallet stolen or worst things. Its easy for you to throw an umbrella and say "i hate this country" just because you've had a few bad experiences. There are good and bad people everywhere- it's human nature.

I dont hate Milan. I'm just left with a lot of questions about the people and the whole atmosphere.

So you have to draw the line [she giggles] at some point, and unwind and start making some real connection out there for however long they may last.

Hey you already went and spent all that money on your ticket, why not make it worth your while and really make it something to remember?

[I feel like I'm talking to myself ]

So here I am a few hours away from my flight to Snubba [ a small area in the middle of the wilderness in the North of Norway. The land of the Laplanders! ], On my way to meet brand new people, like, I have no idea what to expect.

Here I am with an open mind.

I hate to start this in middle of a thought...

2011-06-09T02:28:00.003+02:00

... but I was just sitting here thinking about how Norwegians are so patriotic. I dont want to compare Norway to Mozambique, because they are so different in every aspect, and not to mention the comparison would be completely one sided. But then I got to thinking, Norwegians have all the reasons to be patriotic... they have running water and electricity everyday, first grade public transport, medical assistant, and educational system. The streets are clean, the service is impeccable, and safety is unquestionable.

But then I started asking myself, why isnt Mozambique, more specifically Maputo... why isnt Maputo this pleasant? And then it hit me, this country is great because its made of great people... wait a minute.... dont get me wrong, Mozambique is full of wonderful people, but these wonderful people are the same people who throw trash on the floor, piss on the streets and dont give two shits about thy neighbor. For instance, if I was to be walking behind someone and we went through a door, the person in front of me would hold the door for me, not because they work for me or because we're sleeping together, but because they are 'good samaritan'. Good Samaritan n. A compassionate person who unselfishly helps others.

When did we Mozambicans become so selfish and careless? Was it always like this? Why cant we change?

For our country to be functional, we also have to be functional people.

Citizens of Norway pay their taxes religiously, there's a jail penalty for people who dont. That's why their system works.

I understand if you may think this is a far stretch, but I'm beginning to think that if we dont start taking care of our country and being more thoughtful towards our fellow country man, the road to a better Mozambique is going to be... well, far stretched.

I understand that majority of Mozambicans dont have any income, even the ones that do it isnt fit for european standards... but, Rome wasnt built in a day, we have to start somewhere. But that's where the battle in my head starts. There are somewhat trustworthy people in charge of taking care of tax payers money here... and I'm certain its not the same case in Mozambique. And I guess i could see why most people arent so keen on the idea of sharing their hard earned money with dirty corrupt people. I wish and hope that our Mozambican leader will truly be public servant with the vision of making our homeland a decent place to live.

And so it hits me, if a regular mozambican was able to come here and see how the systems works and then ... humor me for a minute... say he takes what he learns here and goes back to apply in his territory, how awesome would that be? According to Wikipedia, a world citizen may provide value to society by using knowledge acquired across cultural contexts.

Then I remembered how difficult getting a visa is. Why do they make it so hard for people to travel? They put all these obstacles so that it is almost impossible for you to have access to this lifestyle. It's almost as if there's a filtering of who's fit to be in this society and who isnt.

I've gotten to meet a lot of foreigners here, some from Somalia, one from Johannesburg, and Nigeria and so on. They all come here for the same reason, seeking economic opportunity and refuge.

If, this is the age of free enterprise and "citizens of the world" so to speak, we all believe in the freedom of trade, and commerce, then why not also believe in the freedom of travel? Why do bananas have more rights of movement than me or you?I say open all borders and let the chips fall where they may. I've met plenty of people Here in Norway who would love to emigrate too. Why do we all have to be trapped in the boxes we were born into?

Do we own this land? Is it ours? Where does it finish? Who's going to answer these questions???

There's also a lot of "Europeans" who complain about "africans" or emigrants who move to their country and have problems integrating or abiding by the rules, like the whole concept of 'trash IN the trash can' is just foreign to them. Like, because bananas are useful for europeans, but africans are not. As if to say, if you're an 'educated' foreigner... like, people who have high school and higher education are useful , but those who barely finished elementary school, barely speak any languages while the europeans speak multiple languages, arent welcome. And if you don't have any useful education what will you do in Europe? Just sit on your ass and take social security money? These are all valid arguments, but, who's to decided?

I supposed there's a lot to be said about these issues, but I feel pretty privileged to be able to experience both sides of this. But it just gets me confused and I feel like I'll never get to the bottom of it. ARGH! Life!

The saga of modern migration since the 1800s continues... and I am right in the middle of it!

just a little bit about Milano

2011-06-04T13:34:00.001+02:00

The best part about being in Milano was getting to spend time with one of my best friends, Faith, whom I went to Centennial High School with, and I hadn't seen her since she came to visit me in Maputo in 2007.

Seeing her was fantastic, but spending time with her in Milan was surreal, and I kept saying, " I cant believe you're here!"

The first thing we did was get to the nearest restaurant and have some pasta. We met a couple of guys who joined our table after pulling the 'bitch' move. They sent roses to our table. I call it the bitch move because it takes no creativity or balls of any sort to pull this move. We didnt have to invite them to our table, but they were sitting really close to us, and smiling and waving when I looked over. Plus its not like we had any other friends, "Oh what the hell!" I said to Faith and called them over.

! They were totally cool and laughed at our silly immature jokes.

We walked around the student area, drank a few beers and talked about the differences between here and there.

That's Louis Vuitton on the back there, and that's me doing the international sign of hmmm hmmnn. You get it right?

why do you have to be such a tourist, Faith?

We spent a lot of time at the park. Actually, we were at the park the entire time.

The second we had breakfast, we walked over to this really nice park and just laid on the grass sharing music from our iPods until we ran of things to talk about and fell asleep.

Seeing her again after 4 years was like meeting her all over again. Not that anything changed. Nothing that drastic, but I feel like time has made us better people, or better friends for each other.

I feel like we can talk about anything, and everything and still find reasons to laugh.

We talked about the time we spent together in Tennessee and the time we were spending together in Milan, and future plans for both of us.

I didnt like Milan as much as I thought I would, people are so unfriendly and cold. And I dont understand why it's the "Fashion Capital" of the world. I suppose having a bunch of stores in every street could be a reason, but then it should be the "We Have So Much Money and We Spend it on Clothes Capital" of the world. I dont know if was the people's unfriendliness or that I felt like I lived in shopping mall that killed for me, but I know i wont be going back there unless...I get paid to do it. And the second I got back to Oslo, it felt great to have that familiar feeling of being home ;-)

Doing what she does best

i love that tattoo

this guy was sitting like this the WHOLE time we were thre

friends from Senegal

I'm happy, wherever life takes me.

Assisting the Assistant

2011-05-26T14:35:00.001+02:00

So I guess you're wondering what the hell I'm doing in Norway right? Well, i was going to tell you, but i just never got around to it.

a while back i was talking to my friend Nina about how much I wanted to learn about photography and all that goes into it, I mean if I'm going to do this as a profession might as well find out now how much I really like it. So, Nina knows someone who knows someone who knows this great photographer, Per Heimly, who instantly agreed for me to come and follow him around and absorb as much as I can.

The first day of work was like a day in an amusement park, I was excited about everything.

Per is a really straight forward no nonsense kinda guy. He works fast, he walks fast, he talks fast...yeah well you catch my drift.

On the first day we met with the stylist, Sofia, and the lead singer of an up and coming Norwegian rock band witch I have forgotten the name of, but either way it doesnt matter, because...well, it just doesnt.

Sofia the stylist

that guy who's in that band

After the meeting with the band and the stylist, Per had an interview for a newspaper that is distributed all over Norway, about his nomination for the Best Documentary award for his TV show "Ari og Per" (witch he won by the way).

Per Heimly

the journalist

Right after the interview we went into the studio for a photo-shoot with two legendary Norwegian musicians.

And I met the first assistant, Mikael.

I am the assistant to the assistant. Talumba, Assistant Number 2!

Mikael is also 21, and you can see his work here , he's really talented and works like a machine. It's really great to be surrounded by such professionals. Whatever comes of this internship, i know i'll come out of it a better person and an even better professional.

A few hours later we started the second shoot with Ari, who's a co-host of the television program.
Ari is also married to the princess of Norway, just so you know....

After a long day of work we finally sat down to enjoy a few drinks and watch the sun set at 21h00.

the only beer I have managed to be able to drink thus far

There's just a really great sense of respect between everybody. No body is less important then the next person. And for once, i honestly feel like age is not a barrier. Just because im younger, it doesnt make my opinion less valid. And it's so refreshing to hang out with adults who arent looking down, or acting like they know everything or as if i cant bring anything new to the table. Ultimately, relationships are about learning, and if you're not learning anything... what's the point? Right?

Well anyway...I'm gonna go out there and meet some new people and learn some new things....

I am a Queen - Day.

2011-05-15T23:16:00.001+02:00

My first introduction to the "european" culture or whatchamacallit, wait..let me break that down for you...whatchamacallit = what you may call it....

was when a good friend of mine, Mimi, who despite being Mozambican is very much Dutch in the way she conducts herself...as in like, if you make plans with her for 8 o'clock, you better be there at 8 o'clock, not that other people arent considerate of time, but it's just, like, a quality that many mozambican dont have, I could even go as far as to say that it is extinct in our culture. People have no consideration of time what-so-ever. But that's besides the point, Mimi invited me to join her at the Queens Day celebration. Queens day is a day where all the dutch people get together and like...act like total queens. ok, that's not true, but I wasnt even bothered to find out what it was about, call it ignorance, call what you may, but all heard was free booze and free food and I couldnt turn it down. So I'll leave it at your liberty to go on and investigate further on the meaning of the day...

upon arrival at the Dutch Embassy in Maputo, I couldnt help it but feel so intrigued with everyones demeanor and the way they carried themselves...men and women, young and old, all mixed in the crowd talking laughing (I suppose the booze helps), as if there was nothing separating them from each other. There was a common feeling of respect between people.

Luckily I had my camera to distract me from my wine glass that kept getting refilled.

I spent most of the night watching these two dance...

its kind of hard not watching them...too damn cute.

Ok, honestly, the food sucks...it's all cold, and raw and crap. I mean at least the food they were serving there was shit..i ate whole bunch of some sort of meatballs just to keep the alcohol down. I like sushi, and sushi is raw... but like, sushi is good, and whatever they were serving there, is not my cup of tea. I suppose it was a good break from the chamussas-and-rissois we get at every social encounter in Maputo. I shouldn't be so critical, I have no idea why I'm whining, but whining feels good right now...

People watching is my favorite sport.

But sitting here in Norway, and looking back on this night, I should have probably taken more time to learn about the Dutch tradition. If you get a chance to participate in one of these events, socialize as much as you can, ask as many questions as you need to ask, learning about new cultures, like the language, food and so on makes you a smarter person and ultimately more open minded towards new ideas and habits. Dont be so quick to judge other people by the rawness of their food....

Tomorrow, May the 17th, is National Day of Norway, it is the day they celebrate the signing of their constitution. It's a huge family holiday, mostly focused on children's activities throughout the entire day. But, when the sun goes down, or not, the adults come out and show their patriotism. It's practically a free for all, that's what I have been told at least. All the norwegians get into town, to socialize and celebrate their constitution-ness through the act of drinking and dancing, and I will not be an exception.

Tonight, I was invited to a party by a very special friend of mine, where he will be DJing. The plan is for me to drink as much of the free drinks as I can, and ask as many questions as I possible can, so that i can be ready to celebrate tomorrow with as much knowledge as possible. Good plan right?

Greetings from Norway...

2011-05-12T01:10:00.000+02:00

At first I thought i should come up with a better title... then i was all, "ah hell, it will do."

I dont know what else to tell you. Except that life in Oslo is beyond what i had in vision.

The first day here was a bit of a hassle, the unavoidable 'fish-out-of-water' feeling was following me like the stench of piss on a a street bum, (woah, that was a bit of an exageration, but it will do.) I couldnt follow the conversations, or facial expression not even the hand gestures.

But in no time, after i realized that everyone here speaks English (yay!) I couldnt keep my mouth shut.

So, because I've been super busy trying to learn all about my new place, I havent really been able to sit down and write, so i thought i would make a video...

Let me know how things are going on your side...

Nina, and a gift a got for her in Lisbon...Do you know who Patti Smith is?

the first dinner

the land of the...ummnn...portuguese stuff...yeah.

2011-05-06T17:12:00.001+02:00

Did i mention that I was traveling? because I am.
I left Maputo on the 3rd and had a one night-er in Lisbon, Portugal...but then I lost my flight and had to catch the next one...witch was yesterday...

so here are a couple of pictures from the time I spent in Portugal.
See if you can recognize some of these places...and let me know if you do, let me know...

Menina Morena - The Performance

2011-04-25T11:48:00.004+02:00

What an amazing night...!

Thank you to everyone who bought the EP, we really appreciate it.

Special thanks to LOGARITIMO for helping us with the sound, and Cafe Camissa for being that place that we all know and love!

Lenna and DK perform "You're Special"

Migz and Nicole came out....

Artur coming in for "Come Closer"

lots of friends came out to support the artist... we see you!

my bfffffs...they wouldnt miss this...

Jorge and I...doing us.

it's me...somewhere in the dark...

Jorge and Alexandria exchange thoughts and ideas...

Mr. Chibanga...

Makuluve

Joy and Jorge

Jorge and I....

You're star Lenna...Love to see you shine!

Menina Morena - Lenna Baúle

2011-04-21T14:21:00.002+02:00

A few weeks ago I got a text message from my friend, Lenna Baúle, urging me to contact her as soon as possible…so I waited a few minutes and called her.

“T! I finally have a venue…let’s make this happen!” she said excitedly over the phone. Lenna and I had been planning to organize a little gig together since last year.

I've told this story a few times about how I stumbled into Lenna's music. I don't recall the exact moment, because it was either her performance with a band at Franco or seeing her solo work, but either way I do remember the first reaction being, "chick is dope." We met randomly once….no, actually that’s not it, but since I’ve already said that, too late to change now…we met randomly about a year ago and chatted for what seemed like hours. I found out Lenna was in college doing a course on something to do with Botany and also trying to start up her solo music career. The 21 year old has been part of the critically acclaimed group called TP50, she’s worked with various artist as a back-up singer, and recently joined the band Nkhuvu with Stewart Sukuma.

After meeting each other we decided that we need to work together. Even it wasn’t work ‘work’; we needed to do something together. So we started with a concept, an acoustic concept. We wanted to do something simple that both of us could identify with. We’re both turning 22 in a few months and we’re both starting something new, we’re both going after our goals. And Music and photography is combination made for success, at least from where I’m sitting. It’s one of those “help me, help you.” types of situations.

After meeting with a few people….actually we met with one guy, a representative for Rua D’arte who seemed to know less about the music industry then we did, he wanted half the money from the entrance fee and he didn’t want to pay for the sound or the musicians. Crazy. Needless to say we never saw him again and never attempted to meet with anyone else.

So, now…just the two of us, we bring you Menina Morena.

The full project is finally here. I know somewhere someone is relieved to finally have this project out, considering it's been in the works for sometime now.

Lenna has a beautiful voice and in her EP Menina Morena she delivers what she calls "a collection of raw, unmixed demo's & songs, recorded and released in their unfinished & imperfect form." The words. The music. The sound. All beautiful in it's imperfect form. I dig that girl.

The EP will be on sale at the venue for 50mtn. A must have for your collection.

For the show, we called Ras Haitrm, an avid supporter of the arts who’s energy is indispensable on stage, and one of my all time favorite artist. I’m lucky that I’m surrounded by talented people, and luckier that they’re my friends, DK Vader, the dark lord himself, will be gracing us with his presence. The dude is extremely talented and I dig his work, and I can’t wait to see what comes of this union.

This is definitely something you can chill to, have that glass of red wine and cap off your evening. I encourage you all to do just that. Enjoy the show and the rest of your Sunday night.

Entre Razão, Transgressão e Fantasias

2011-04-15T11:51:00.000+02:00

Sábado 16 Abril 2011

11H
Entrada Livre

Conferência

LITERATURA FEMININA AFRICANA

Entre Razão, Transgressão e Fantasias

Paulina Chiziane
Escritora
Moçambique

Louis Arsac
Professor
França

Here’s a list of the things you smell like

2011-04-14T14:25:00.003+02:00

Here’s a list of the things you smell like to me:

1. a room i remember but have never been inside

2. pine trees

3. sweet potatoes

4. Love

5. cloves

6. skin.

7. sweat

8. and cut grass

I bet when you hold me time gets really, really jealous.

I have no idea how you put up with me, love.

hey, i have stories...

2011-04-13T09:49:00.006+02:00

It doesn't matter that it's 7am and I’ve got a caffeine buzz and Bob Dylan has been shaking the walls of my office for an hour. It doesn't matter that it's so hot and not the kind that makes you sweat but the kind that sits under skin tugging at your mind like a kid that wants a lollipop.
But thank goodness Maputo weather is looking cooler by the day.

Three days ago I used the word reprieve in a conversation with a stranger talking about the heat. "There’s just no," and three dots past, "reprieve" I said. He paused and made a noise like a backwards explanation point and said that it was the perfect word to use and I know he was surprised to hear it…not what I said about the heat…but the word. To tell you the truth I had just learnt it from Thesaurus.com, I do that randomly searching for different ways of saying things, but I didn’t let him know that, of course.
For some reason I can't stop thinking about it, those three minutes out of a twenty four hour day, three days later.

Three days ago I went to have dinner with some friends and a conversation about my blog came up, and someone mentioned a conversation I had via facebook with my father, where he was pointing out the grammar or lack off on these blogs I write. And a lot was said between that table of friends, who were already on the 3rd bottle of wine mind you. Let me just go ahead and say that I’m not afraid to take criticisms, I consider them a crucial gear for personal development, with that said…I came to the conclusion that nobody knows what they’re talking about, and wine is a great conversation starter. But I do respect your opinions, you know who you are!

I saw a segment on National Geographic about wild wolves. Wolves that were cruising in a residential area. The word dangerous was used more than once but residents of the area were asked not to shoot the animal themselves but rather to call the authorities to do it for them. The female newscaster’s voice was like a headache. “Please,” I thought. “Stop acting like it’s the end of world”. You should hear a song called “The Wolves” by Bon Iver, it sings "solace my game - it stars you" and I think the wild things are a threat because they remind you specifically of love.

Three days ago you said "your eyes are golden tonight" and I would be lying if i said it didn't break my heart that they weren't ever golden for you before, or always. It’s a pretty word, golden. I looked it up and came across a question someone had posed, they wanted to know if golden was a color, they were questioning its existence, its absoluteness.
The answer they were given i read over and over, sitting indian style, the heat under my skin still tugging. "Golden is like saying "rainbow" is a color. Golden's rainbow is of the color spectrum from light brown to green to yellow to blue and various shades of these colors in between."

I guess it hurt when you said it because this is how i want you to love me, from light brown to green to yellow to blue.
I told you I have stories.

Tarantism - An uncontrollable urge to dance

2011-04-01T11:08:00.007+02:00

From the people that brought you the FULL MOON Party at the train staion..(almost 2 months ago),
you definitely don’t wanna miss FUNKAFROGROOVE…

Where: Museu d´Arte…(just 5 min after Concelho Municipal/Cathedral Church) Av Ho Chi Min…corner with Av Filipe Samuel Magaia nº 552 (true)

TONIGHT!!!!...we´ll fill yur souls with funk afro grooves.

Spread n share this truth !!!!

things I won't mention in casual conversation...

2011-03-30T15:33:00.013+02:00

things I won't mention in casual conversation
but will probably be thinking about the whole time we speak:

• the way your girlfriend, at the time, leaned against the wall awkwardly when your friend next to her told me I was beautiful, she said "yeah, you're just a firecracker, aren't you?" like i did something wrong. I probably did something wrong.

• Why is it that you’re so courageous when it comes to spitting insults on-line, but when I ran into you, all of the sudden you have nothing to say?

• the universal facial expressions & hand gestures most people make when their team correctly guesses the name in the 30 Seconds game completely represent how my heart feels when i see you.

• i vividly remember walking home one day in high school (Franklin, Tn) while "harvest moon" by Neil Young on repeat thinking about whether or not it meant something that i sometimes die in my dreams.
• Prank calling New York Pizza. Because prank calls are never out of fashion.
• That time you prank called the Cayman Islands. HAHAHAHAHAHHA still funny as hell.

• This one time I sprained my ankle and the x-ray technician told me i looked like his girlfriend in high school, I felt nostalgic. Weird. For which one of us i don't know. Weird.
• about three or four years ago my school counselor told me to make a timeline, “make a timeline” she said, “because you have no idea what’s happened, so how can you know what's happening now?” And then last night in bed i thought: here where?

• boys with lisps.

• Water on water, rain on a swimming pool, rain on a river.
• The end of summer closing in and i never thought it would come to this, somehow.

• there's a hand on my leg and it's moving.

• The scene in "the little princess" at her birthday party where the teacher said very seriously "you are alone in the world" - an off screen line with a blurry background and a black balloon that suddenly popped after she said it.

• Consistent spiritual nurturing. (?)

• Donnie Darko soundtrack.

• "You are waiting for a train. a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train might take you, but you can't be sure." the rest never mattered.
• someone is going to die.

I have things to tell you...

2011-03-24T15:23:00.003+02:00

I have things to tell you.
But they are stuck inside my hands. I somehow have not been able to think anything through… or have an elaborate enough thought to write it down… nor share it with you.

But how have you been? I’ve missed you! It’s been so long. I know it might not seem like it to you, but time is FLYING. I mean… two minutes ago, it was December 2010. And look at us now, already at the end of beautiful March. Last year, I thought the month of December passed by just like a sneeze. You feel it coming, the tickling up, caos in your brain, the buzz of nothing, a heart sighing upward & then it's out and it's over.

Speaking of sneezes, I’ve got the mother of all Flu’s. I feel like I’m going to die. That’s slightly exaggerated.

I’m just hoping I feel better to go celebrate the 4th anniversary of RAS HAITRM & Word Sound and Power on Saturday at 10:30pm, at Gil Vicente. It would be really nice to see you guys out there celebrating with us on Saturdy. If you've never seen him live, then this would be a perfect opportunity!

Speaking of Saturday (…I’m on a roll!), let’s take a look at a few shots I did of a benefit concert Ras Haitrm and The Word Sound and Power organized on a Saturday in December 2009. Yeah, two thousand and nine. Didn’t I tell you time flies?

Strange :and

2011-03-09T15:24:00.003+02:00

Mr. Dibia$e just dropped a tune for you to get a free listen, from his upcoming beat-tape "Sound Palace", This beat is very bumpable, the mellow sound, is the kind that makes your mind float away aimlessly and at the same time groovable. Let's just say it's a dope it beat. And the beginning is sampled with the classic Radio Raheem 'Do The Right Thing' it's just coooool. Click here to listen.

InterNational Day of FIERCE!

2011-03-08T09:36:00.021+02:00

She is fierce. End of. I’ve been hearing about the band MONA (Rock / Marrabenta / Progressive Metal) for quite a while now, but never bothered to go and see their shows,I simply thought it wouldnt be my 'thing'. Last Saturday my friend Johara convinced me to go to their Video premiere, Txopela, at Gil Vicent, and I thought..."Oh what the heck. How bad could it be?" Not bad at all, in fact, it was great! I found out that right now they're are owners of the only Rock/Metal Record Label in Mozambique. How about that?!

The beauty of music is that it is highly universal and at the same time, very diverse. Universal in the sense that everyone can relate to it (duh!) and diverse in the sense that there are soooooooo many different genres and while I'm hot for a particular genre, you hate it completely. That being said, whether you are a rock head, a jazz fellow, a lover of the more traditional afro beat or a whatever toots your horn, you’ve got to give Miss Yara Polana her due. She is good at what she does.

You may know her as Monace, Guitarist/Back up Vocalist. Her voice is amazing, not that clean-cut pop star kinda voice, but the ruged edgy kind, the kind we like. Screaming out things like "Tenho um pe cheio de matequenha!" she can make any song sound good. Add the fact that she has an absurdly charismatic and energetic stage presence, then multiply that by her fantastic personality, gorgeous kinky hair, simplistic wordrobe, and overall amazing sense of confidence and you’ve got a chick who inspires me to step my game up everyday in terms of how I present myself to the world and how I tackle my professional life.

No, seriously. As far as talented young female Musicians in Mozambique are concerned, they are not many. A complete list would probably make the World’s Thinnest Book. I’m quite sure Yara is gonna be adding a leaf to this book.

If you’ve never seen/heard her live before (or if you have, whatever) I urge you to to go see the next MONA show. FIERCE.

I just called Yara up this morning for this quick chat...

Tell us about yourself, we know your name is Yara but where
are you from, where did you grow up, school etc?
Born and raised in Maputo, I went to a school that was know as Delta, but it no longer exists. Not much to say.
Would you say you are from a musical family?
No. not really. My family isn’t one you’d call a musical family but everyone has an
ear for music. I learned to play the Piano with my father. But I didn’t like it. I even went to the Music school, in around 2000, but I gave up. I just wasn’t interested.
What made you choose music, was it always something you knew you would do?
Not really...
I like challenges. And music was a new challenge for me. I wanted to be the only woman to play rock. I bought my own guitar. Music began to kickin around 2005. And I immediately joined a band, that was called Guided by Nightmares. It was sort of magical how it all happened so fast.

What challenges have you faced in your journey thus far ?
Me, being woman. They don’t believe in women. No one ever wanted girl to play in their the band. They would be like “Oh no, she’s a girl. We don’t need girls in our band.” So I started to play metal. That really impressed people.
And shortly after I joined Simba and the Brown Band. and started travelling and playing in different countries.
Do you sometimes feel there are two different yous… Yara the
musician and Yara the….?
Absolutely! I’m completitly shy about…everything; [laughs]
The Yara onstage is totally different, on stage I have to show people who I really am. I have to show my skills.
What genre of music do you consider categorize yourself to be in?
Metal. Rock is more popular, it’s more pleasing to the crowd. But Metal is personal to me. It’s about me, and no one else.
Are you currently signed to a record label?
No I’m not. I’m totally independent.
Typical question but who writes the songs for Mona?
We all join in. We work on it has a group.
What would you say or who would you consider to be your biggest
musical influence?
My own stuff inspires me. Musicians are constantly creating. My inspirations is continuous work, and creation.
What are your immediate music career goals?
Open doors for Rock in the Mozambican music industry.
Any advice for all of us wanna-be’s?
Challenge. The more you challenge yourself, the better you are. Go out and show what you can do. Playing inside your room to yourself wont do you any good.
If you could have one song playing softly in the back of your hear. What would it be?
Im Bad – Michael Jackon.
Enough said!

Regulation

2011-03-07T16:30:00.012+02:00

Gravity Regulators Live @ Mafalala Libre 4th of March 2011

Ash Ismael and Basillion Ras Makuluve

Us and Makuluve, a Gravity Regulator.
Now I totally understand why pictures like these come out blurred.

This one was taken by Ash, a Gravity Regulator.

Machick-chick

2011-02-28T09:07:00.018+02:00

The Sunday began as any other. I'm sitting in my room hanging over and trying to remember the events from the night before, watching Life Unexpected (don't judge its fucking awesome) and Johara is in her room (a block away from me)watching something else.
I message her inviting her to partake in drinking and outdoors activities.

This is what happens.
We went to a pool, Matchiki chik, had a couple of drinks and began writing on a journal.

Two girls. Looking slightly deformed, but also slightly saucy. We are rare breeds.

innovation.
‘Till we get drunk again.

Peace

the darkness

2011-02-24T16:19:00.006+02:00

to be clear, I don’t really know why I’m calling this the darkness…but here it goes. i caught the charlie murphy/rick james just now for about the 1845464th time and I about died laughing. if you haven't seen this skit, you really need to. my day is now complete.

in all the time that i've lived in Maputo, i've never really walked just to walk, you know what I mean? yes, it was hot as balls (are balls really that hot?), but it felt really good to walk and talk and just enjoy this city for what it is.
of course me being me and thinking "okay? what now" immediately following the walk and squat on the grass.

I Start up random conversations with people just because...for no reason at all.
Talk to strangers, you never know what you might learn.
….When I walk I’m often drifting off from reality and a completely imaginary little world of mine, where I can read these people minds, like, I put myself in their shoes and try to imagine what’s going through their mind, or what their situation is like. It’s a good exercise.
This way you actually take the time out to look into people faces and maybe ,just maybe, make a real connection with somebody who you never considered.
And it makes walking a whole more entertaining. You’re missing out!
Now for all those who walk everyday to and from their destinations, enjoy your ride!

The Recession

2011-02-22T16:53:00.009+02:00

I am not one to talk much about the economy because a) I never really give a shit and b) I am a total idiot when it comes to this, sure I may have got a passing grade on Math & Algebra in school but everyone knows all that knowledge has been deteriorated by the ungodly amounts of alcohol that is consumed.

The girls working at the Centenario Bar.

the girls and I at Cafe Camissa.

I am however forced to weigh in my two cents because the recession has finally caught up with me. THE PRICES FOR BEER HAS RISEN TREMENDOUSLY! I went to one of my favorite local pub, Cafe Camissa (Nucleo de Arte), on Sober Sunday with my girlfriends (pictured) only to be shocked that the price of Laurentina Preta had gone up by 30 Meticais!

It didn’t bother me much at first; because I just figured to order a beer and then import it from the SuperMarket aka Museu only to find out that the price had risen there as well.

No wonder the moon has been all weird lately.

Kill Me.

Centenario

2011-02-17T15:01:00.015+02:00

Centenario
Bar & Restaurant
Maputo
Av. Marginal

Have you been to Centinario latetly?
Well...last weekend I went there to celebrate my friend Nuno's birthday.
Picture this, you are low on Meticash and you need a drink, you want to be in a nice area but not spend too much, but still feel like you're ballin'.The answer is simple, Centenario.
I love the sea breeze and not to mention the quick and super friendly service!
There is a bartender there that will wip-up some Caipirinhas that will have you drinking yourself under the table, literally.

The food is great and so is the ambience, it’s a chill out spot not meant for those that want to get rowdy.

This place is also kid friendly, so bring your little munchkins.

Advice in case you are the kind that likes girls around when drinking, carry your own because at Centenario’s its a definite swordfight! Talk about sausagefest!
Also dont go there before 14h00, there too much sun and it pratically unbarable, unless you're into getting skin cancer and sun-spot.

Here are some pictures from the last time I went to Centenario.
12/02/2011

told ya it was kid friendly.

I like her shirt.

Turquoise is cute.

Tequila brings the flava!

Tatiana. I like the bracelet, and she's having one of them freshly squeezed caipirinhas

and she's also the manager.

the disc jockey, Charles and Patrick Oostergetel.

Gorka, rockin' the scarf.

Bambu

2011-02-16T10:52:00.006+02:00

Since I started working with the apparel line, Moztyle, I've been super interested in tshirts designs and have discovered a bunch of them online. But this one I kept going back to, somethin about it caught my eye.

Bambu is originally one of the worldest oldest and finest rolling paper companies. The art work is amazing, I would definitely even hang some of these shirts in shirt frames for my wall!

They are simply awesome, I miss this type of graphic tee. Im so dead tired of cartoonish items. I say this is it! if you like it, take a look at their site.

last friday I...

2011-02-15T16:19:00.015+02:00

had lunch with my girlfriend Paloma at Spicy Thai, they have a Monday-Friday buffet for 350mtn, so you can eat that delicious Number 104 over and over again.

met up with Nandele, who runs this blog, to chit-chat at Park Dos Continuadores...

...and I met a cool guy, Edy, that's him right there...

and makes these really dope shirts, like the one Nandele is holding.
#note to self: go back there more often

and then I called Paloma back and we decided that we would go out and have a few drinks...so we passed by Franco, where the Bob Marley Birthday Tribute was being hosted, and decided it wasnt the place for us..

so we went to Eagles, to meet with a couple of friends , and ordered ourselves a round of shots...

I was wearing my favorite bag that night...

more shots...

one more round and that's it...

hahahha...

free hugs for everybody...

my mom made that bag she's eating...

Elisa weee!

enough drinking...

no really...no more drinks.

After moving to one more spot, where things like "WHO DA FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE" and "FUCKING GOOD IDEA! THAT's A FUCKING GOOD IDEAD MAN!" were shouted out the 3rd floor balcony, our Friday ended blissfuly...at a decent hour. For the first time in a long time.

What did you do last Friday?

intricate

2011-02-10T16:29:00.004+02:00

"You'll go places" I’ve heard this a million times before, "Just the temptations is all you must endure", easier said then done.

2011-02-09T09:35:00.002+02:00

How freaking cute are these printsand paper puppets from The Pin Pals? (Alot of freeking Cute!)

Assumptions.

2011-02-09T08:36:00.003+02:00

Hey there good morning!I have a bunch of work to do (files things, and put them in their filing places, I donno). My priorities fail epically.

Anyway, I know this is really randomn but this thing is so hilarious, I know I'm gonna tell you about it at some point when I run into you and I just want you to see it first so it will save me a lot of explaining. This is to all those pervs who hide behind geekiness... they will definitely understand.

Sa-Ra Creative Partners – Episode II: Mission To Mars

2011-02-07T09:45:00.002+02:00

New podcast of that futuristic, space funk, egyptron ish. Download here.

too much gravity regulating for my system

2011-02-04T09:37:00.014+02:00

Yesterday was a holiday. Heroes day.
Is it possible to still feel like shit 36ish hours after binge drinking?
Kill me.
Nevertheless, I had a GREAT time at Gil Vicent.

Thanks to:
-People who regulate gravity
-yellow plastic cups filled with beer
-tall friends to lean on when you can barely stand up
-cell phones
-Friends who put up with late night non-booty calls
-Johnny on the Spot
-Mimi, Eric, Nicole, Lenna and everyone else I met but who's names I've already forgotten
-and hell, why not... your mom too