EQUALLY UNEQUAL

They call it fast food, I call it a saviour on that rare day, with a quick fix when there's nothing else to eat in the scary dark hour. 

They call it unhealthy food, I call it the one that brings the yin to the yang, keeping you realist and safely tucked away from extremism.

But goodness me! This should be for atleast two people! 

They call it junk food, I call it the one that opens our eyes to appreciate how golden natural nutritious food was designed to make us feel. 

The way spaghetti saved my hungry soul tonight just reminded me of how all foods are equal, don't judge them too harshly but remember too, that some foods will always be more equal than others.

WHERE'S YOUR BOYFRIEND?!

"Valentine's is coming, where's your boyfriend/ girlfriend?" For a few years now, this being year 2022, the above statement  is the theme song chorus, when Valentine's day is fast approaching. It makes it seem like if you have no companion/ lover, then you have a big fail in life, under your belt.  It's as if to say, romantic love is the almighty standard for completeness, a matter of life and death, another pre-requisite of society for you to be seen as independent (the irony!). 

The quest for independence has gotten many stressed and pushed over to depressed. An appreciation of monks and nuns shows us beyond doubt that we fuss way too much. These good fellas focus on the bare minimum needs of life and see where that's gotten them! Peace, tranquility always prevails in their world. Independence is freedom! 

Might be a huge mountain to climb and attain but really also, a war, up in our heads. Figuring where to even start always seems crazy grande and scary too. Think for a moment, if you have food to eat, good food at that, all day, everyday, would you ever have to stoop to beg at desperacy's bottom? Don't that mean that independence starts at food's bounty? And then not needing hair money for us, the ladies?

Folks, sort that food first, let's get those basics in and get more grateful as we reach for the top. 

As you can see by now, no Valentine's? No problem! No food, big problem!!

CHAPATTI and it's friends

In the amazing country, Uganda, East of the prestigious African continent, beam hills towering over, ever green forest treasures, steaming hot springs and rivers of beautiful mystery flowing through. All are works of God's Midas touch, pulling a glimpse from whoever looks up Uganda. There exists another thing that will literally suck attention out of you, a build of man's hand though, that is in the unique Ugandan street food, the Rolex. 

You see, the Rolex holds eggs, vegetables like carrots, onions, tomatoes or even cabbage, cooked and wrapped in a chapatti(looks like the lost twin of naan) and has never lost its ground, being a Ugandan darling since it was birthed. What we need to give more credit to though is the founding food of this Rolex, THE CHAPATTI, basically, a round flat food made from a wheat, sugar, salt, butter, water and eggs dough that's then pan fried or deep fried. 

The chapatti, looks thin and so more of harmless. It feels so smooth in the mouth that it's capability to derange our health in our bodies is so doubtable. It pairs up with a multitude of sauces, stews and other foods, it's "combo" options are endless. It's so affordable, it seems to reason with us on our broke days as well as the rich days. It knows no weather, it makes itself findable on a rainy day as much as on a sunny day. The chapatti is tasty that's it's impossible to give a blind eye to. This chappati can do no wrong. 

What is it again they say about if something's too good to be true? It probably isn't, right? The chapatti and it's friends come stealthily into your life and there's no need to worry at this point after all variety is the spice of a balance for health. The chapatti or it's friends will then make way into your home and this is when you need your gaurd up, making sure it's not the master of every ceremony at your table. The chapatti will then invade your home, suffocating thoughts and attempts at other food. By this time chapatti or it's friends would have turned you over to their slavery. Keep your eyes open for chapatti and it's friends.

NOTHING WITHOUT REMINDERS

 A hunger that bites, 

A hunger that no one is capable of explaining,

A hunger that just sits there, motionless,

A hunger that takes more than a 24 hour run around the sun,

A hunger so silent to the external and yet so loud within,

A hunger so obstinate, eating regular is but a waste of time.

You haven't really felt a hunger until this quiet and yet strong one. 

I moved in circles around the kitchen the past week, eating this and that, sweet and sour, hot and cold, crunchy and soupy, light and heavy, bland and spicy. Nothing quite treated the sickness within, the deeper craving, the missing link.  Five days later and I am starting to feel satisfied finally, what finally landed me there?!  A day of some yam, corn flour meal, peas, goat's meat plus a cocktail of watermelon, passion fruits and orange juices, majorly stuff I hadn't partaken of in a while. 

I believe hidden naughty hunger is our reminder to eat in variety, beautiful beings.

SMILES AGAIN

Uh, life can be such a twist! For someone who used to be the life of and at every party, to someone who now barely attends a party. Uh,life can be such a twist! That said, when I am on board to go for one, I am maximumly prepared to enjoy it, no matter the odds and yes, that stands for kids parties too (see how I am preparing you as well, just now?). 

So I attended this kid's birthday party with the rest of my family over the weekend and it was the simplest, most amazing little union of people. Everyone as themselves, just enough nicely done finger food, a more than gorgeous cake and not too many kids but enough to keep the busy at the house. Now, you know what the contrary can be!! Too many kids that you have a migraine almost as soon as you step into the venue, everyone trying their best to put on their best show, it's so unreal, a cake that looks super duper to the naked eye but is horrible to the naked tongue, too much or too little food all over the place, that flies or dry lips face you on every side. Anyway all I am trying to say I guess is the simple things make the heart truly merry. 

Now, cake time approached and we were all smiles, everyone was served by the adorable birthday girl and we were even more smily at this point. Someone then mentioned how a second serving was in order with a cake like this and our lovely hostess, side eyed me and subtly said, "our nutritionist over here wouldn't agree to that." 

I quickly let myself out of the mix by saying, "it's a birthday guys, can we enjoy it?" I should say everyone's by now, frozen faces quickly lit up and there were those smiles again. 

Once again, it validated the realisation that people associate suffering to reward, achieving, righteousness or perfection. In actuality, however, isn't sustainance, consistence and a steady balance the answer to running and lasting the marathon of whatever your dream or goal might be? Come on, let's get a smile again to that?

LITTLE STAR AND BIG STAR

I seem to be on the parent craze with my writing lately! It is what it is, we have to enjoy every present moment and phase of life we are gifted with. The offended, kindly take a seat. 

Looking back on the life of my late precious mother and that of my awesome father, I see a life where they made huge sacrifices so their children can be in a better place and the awkward thing is we barely noticed the better place as kids when we were busy comparing ourselves to our peers. Our parents often ghosted themselves, not merely putting their needs at the back seat but even completely scrapping them out of their mind because everything that now defined them was the kids. Its not a rare happening to see for so many parents out there, starving so their kids can eat, buying their kids the top quality food and taking the under cuts for themselves, carving out a super food menu for their kids and then themselves, eating whatever they happen to pounce on. 

I was making a smoothie for my little star one day and as I was pouring his kiddy cup with the blend of some peanut butter, yoghurt, banana and honey to the brim, I realised this was an excellently nutritious snack, one that would bring a little bit of paradise for the body and here I was focussing only on the little star, yet I equally needed that magic, I quickly slapped my head back to sense and pulled another cup for me this time. I remembered, I was human too, my body was in need too. Now, when it's snack time, whether I am going to have just a teaspoonful of whatever we are making, I am having some of that too. Normalise valuing your needs alongside those of your loved ones, guys. 

DISCOVER SOME! GROW EVEN MORE!

"Be yourself, everyone else is taken." I love that quote! More skin glow to the one that handed it to us. Keeping it you, but deliberately choosing to power up the better side of you each day despite the ongoings in and around you is my perception of true growth. Well now, I am remembering a one Home Economics lesson I attended, where growth was a matter of size. Development, on the other hand, was tagged as a matter of enhancement of what already was. Maybe what we are really talking about here then, is development rather than growth.

The other day, my 4 year old son, saw a pawpaw lying on the ground, quite beaten by those beautiful birds, it had gotten too heavy for the fruit stem to hold, so it just gave way. He brought it in house and told us, he had brought some food home from the garden for us to eat!! What!! I was so proud of how a budding human was able to integrate senses of self care, selflessness and responsibility, all at once. 

A few days later, I was sorting clothes for wash day in the laundry room and at this time, a soft spoken little human shows face before me and asks, "mummy, are you hungry?" Inquisitive to see what would happen next, I replied, "yes, I am actually."

Moments later, someone who had magically vanished from what I thought was our ongoing conversation, brought me a plate holding two slices of bread and a tumbler half full of soda. I tell you, I stopped the sorting, just gave him a tight hug for a bit and a teary eyed "thank you." This little ninja was infact no so little by heart and mind anymore! He had started to understand the Golden rule of any relationship on Earth, "there should be something to give and something to be given!" Watching me constantly give him, his meals, in this case, I guess he wondered, shouldn't he also be giving mummy her meals too?

To see actions that are outbursts of a clearly active and well oiled emotional and psychological train made me realise just how influenceable our environments make us, the people we talk to, the way they feed themselves and others, the care they give and the energy they exude. As we discipline and rebuke the little ones, maybe sometimes, just letting them discover themselves through our life's example and the mystery of the world outside our four walls is a big part of helping them develop into that fine young man that can hold his own and be a change maker in a world bleeding with a need for so much change or rather reversal.