Prior to embarking on my professional modeling adventures, I did not understand why on earth so many staff were necessary at photoshoots; you would think that just the photographer, model, and makeup person would suffice? As I learnt from putting together this tiny photoshoot for Anam’s Vault, it is not so. At my first ever casting call, I was taken aback to find multiple people in the room — as I have come to appreciate with time, friends, advertisements that we often consume in mere seconds took a village, and then some, to come together. It’s incredible. But I digress!
Style | Mitindo
The Young Women’s Breast Cancer Forum
Profiles, Work | Kazini, Writing | MaandishiFor the past twelve years, the Young and Strong Program at Dana-Farber has held an annual gathering for women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at an age younger than the average. Two Fridays ago, on 12th October 2018, Breast Cancer in Younger Women: A Forum for Patients and Survivors rolled around again — and this time I was able to take it all in from planning to execution.
Brookline Beauty Nails & Spa
Editorials, Style | Mitindo, Writing | MaandishiIn January this year, a new nail salon opened in a neighbourhood of Brookline, Massachusetts. I glanced through the window while walking past one day and was captivated by the gorgeous interior, but it also looked like an establishment I assumed I couldn’t afford to patronise — I was wrong. The first time I ventured inside, I was actually in tears from an upsetting phone call; I left feeling so much better, comforted by the ambiance and stellar nail service (plus the tea and sweets they offered me ❤ ). I became a repeat client and, after singing the salon’s praises to my friends enough times, recently went back to document the experience. Come along with me into this hidden gem!
Freestyle Banana Bread
Recipes | Mapishi, Writing | MaandishiI refer to this recipe as “freestyle” because after the basic requirements are met I almost always add in whatever other ingredients I have available that day. As a result, no two banana bread batches are ever the same; variety is the spice of life, friends. Alright, let’s bake!
Waxing Wahala
Style | Mitindo, Writing | MaandishiSince my first death by Brazilian some years ago, I’ve favoured the hair removal method for its silky and long-lasting results. The process is notoriously painful and, generally, costly; the latter for good reason, given that it’s a luxury on the part of the client and requires very intimate contact from the provider. Between Boston rent prices and my generation supposedly draining our income on avocado toast (eye roll), my finances do not allow for upkeep as regularly as I’d prefer. But they say necessity is the mother of invention — so, I decided to do it myself.