Boxed out!

The last time I got braid extensions, I cried!

I was 18, about to go to Uni, and I wanted a hairstyle I could manage without the help of my Gran. So why the tears? Well, (and I still feel pathetic admitting it, but) it was because my Mum and Granma decided to go Bad Cop/Bad Cop on me and ridicule my choice of hairstyle!

They made it very clear that no self-respecting, style-conscious young woman would be seen dead in the outdated, childish style of braids I wanted.  You see I wanted single, not too thick, box braids à la Brandy back in day. Unfortunately my mum and gran insisted on canerow braids à la Alicia Keys. Nothing wrong with that style but NOT want I wanted.  According to them my hair was way too thick for box braids, I have to add too much synthetic hair to my own and I'd end up looking stupid. Just the kinda encouragement you need for when you're about to move away from home!  The humiliation and frustration of supposedly being an adult and not being allowed a say on how I looked broke me that day, hence the waterworks.

                    

                        Brandy circa sometime in the 1990's -
                        What I wanted, minus the burnt ends   

 The style I was strong armed into getting -
Alicia Keys.

 

I hated the braids. They were thick, heavy and I couldn't style them the way I wanted to.  Not surprisingly they only lasted 2 weeks before I took them out and swore never to go there again!


Fast forward 11 years and....I finally went back there, a month ago. As the Queen of my Samba School (EXCITING HUH!! But more about that in a later post) I was having the most amazingly, beautiful costume made for me for Notting Hill Carnival.  The designer wanted big, long hair to go with his eye popping creation!  Hmmmm, up cropped dilemma one. If you've read my Phony or not to phony post, you'll know I prefer not wear hair pieces when I dance, and as you're now fully aware, the last time I had any hair like appendages attached to my own, the experience is not littered with fond memories.  What, to, do?

Do as you're told and OBEY, that's what!

You only get to be the Queen of my Samba school once and Notting Hill is our biggest event, so you goes hard, or you damn well goes home! Besides, I fancied a change, and bum length box braids were one hell of a change!

When You Gonna Get Yourself a Job?

While I'm in the UK, planning my next leg of world domination, I'm looking for regular work. A way to work smart, not hard. A way to pay the bills without breaking my back as I usually do.

My boyfriend, who is American, obviously recommends me to look at Craigslist. "There are a number of unusual creative jobs on there! I'm sure you'd find something interesting" he says.

So on I go...and this is what I find:

Well. This one was...interesting, just as I was expecting. I'm not entirely sure what constitutes a "crafty female" but I'm assuming that it's just your run of the mill lady person who doesn't mind making some light basic labour tasks. Naturally. Although I couldn't help but wonder whether one might have to undergo specific tests to monitor improvement before aforementioned "more complicated tasks" would be handed on. So many questions but defo something to follow up on.



Occasionally, on laundry day, I have been known to rebel against propriety and go commando. Never have I ever considered turning it into cash. Until now. However, in this time of iPhones and Skype, I'm not entirely sure why I would need to go out on laundry day, in public, in my old work team building T shirt and slippers to prove to a stranger that yes, all my pants are in the wash. But on closer inspection, I realised that although I am woman, I am also over 25 so don't have to worry about this mess anyway.

Hang on. One minute I'm not meant to be wearing knickers and the next I've not only got to wear them, but I've got to go and spend tens of pounds on brand names, just so this chancer can buy them off me? No thanks mate. I wonder if these two know each other though and have a kind of tag-team situation going on? Ahhh the questions...

 

I would like to meet the author of this post, just to find out for myself what his issues with his father were. Also, as this was categorised under "non-profit organisation", I love to discover exactly which NGO to google to get the link to the video because it sounds fantastical.


Having looked at these and really, really having a think about them, I asked my friends if they knew of any jobs going and found a receptionist placement through my friend's dad.  Thank you internet, but I think I'll stick to more old fashioned job acquiring techniques for the moment.






Karla
x

Black Girls Rock!

My name is Karla, and I am a Black Girl who Rocks.

This is how all of the honourees at BET's annual Black Girls Rock awards ceremony end their acceptance speeches. I know this because on a muggy Sunday September afternoon, I turned the channel over to Sky's BET during the ad break from a Friends episode, to watch a re-run from last year's awards show and an hour later I'm still watching, completely in love and inspired by all of these women.
From the recipients of the M.A.D Girls awards (Making A Difference) - motivated young women who take action to inspire their communities by doing things like creating Green superheroes and touring schools and leading workshops promoting the ethical agenda from age 7 (Brooklyn Wright), to Mary Pat Hector the 17 year old calling for teen activism to see that black youth in her community don't slip through the net - to Activism awards for Chicago based "Interrupter" Ameena Matthews, as well as living legends Queen Latifah and Patti Labelle.

The winner who inspired me to write this post, was the recipient of the Shot-Caller Award, Mara Brock-Akil, the producer and writer of Black led shows Girlfriends aka the "black Sex And The City" and new TV show Being Mary Jane starring Gabrielle Union from Bring It On fame and the first Black romantic interest in Friends). I don't know how many of you know this, but it is a dream to write a TV comedy series. I spent this last summer in the US where I am in the process of moving to researching and nest searching so I can chase this writing dream, starting with a course at the UCB in New York. I usually cite my inspirations as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler - incredible comedic writing talents who started out in improv like me, but that is because I feel a glaring absence of Black women to look up to, women who might be able to fulfill a similar role. Mara Brock-Akil's acceptance speech echoed my sentiments.

"Everywhere we turn, we see our beauty reflected. Unless you're Black. And a girl...And when there is an image that resembles us, oftentimes on closer inspection, it's not us..."

For as long as I can remember, I have been on a search for Black female comedians who speak the same language as me. A writer and comedian who from London, from a Jamaican family, who went to a private school (thank you John Whitgift Foundation and your bursars for funding my brain) and so doesn't subscribe to many of the stereotypes that mainstream media likes to perpetuate.

As I mentioned in this post, Youtube has been a great source of alternative voices, but I think there needs to be MOAR!!

And that, my friends, is my lifetime's mission. To be the Black Tina Fey. To be a new Hannah Pool aka the only English winner of a Black Girls Rock Award. To be the person I want to see in the world.

Wish me luck!

Lots of love,
Karla x

I found out what the hell Spike Lee was doing at the Vila Isabel quadra in Rio...!!

So as you'll all know from reading my posts, my friend Spike Lee showed up a couple of times to samba rehearsals at the samba school I paraded with, Vila Isabel.

Me and my mate Spike, hanging out

Now I know why...

He was scouting for his latest "joint", which turns out to be a film for something calling itself 'Pepsi Beats of the Beautiful Game'. The song, entitled "The Game" is sung by Miss Kelly Rowland, and video has a story of its own.

The video tells a fictional tale of a young football fanatic living in Vidigal (a favela in Rio's South Zone). "Pixote's Game"  stars my fellow passista, Pedro, as a 'John' (or a pimp, not quite sure...) as well as the mestre and other members of the bateria of Vila Isabel.

Watch it in all its glory below.

beijos,

Karla x

Reflections of a "Gringa Passista"

Hi gang.


I started writing this to you a right after the PARADE OF MY LIFETIME. But then life got in the way, Rio de Janeiro turned CRAZY in anticipation of the World Cup, and so it's only now that I'm sharing this with you. On my last night in Rio*.

On THE NIGHT! photo courtesy of Emily Ainsworth

Arriving here back in October, my mission was clear - to live the life of a Passista (samba dancer). If I didn't get in to parade with a samba school from the Grupo Especial (Special Group), I would at least go to their rehearsals and try to improve to increase my chances of one day being accepted. My ambitions were lofty, but the stars aligned and Unidos da Vila Isabel (my first choice) accepted me, and I started to live and love it. In fact, it's a Saturday night, two and a half months have passed, and I'm still getting my head around the fact that I don't need to start gathering my Show Things together for another night of sambão at the Vila Isabel quadra.

I know what you all want to know: how was the parade? How was it? You started learning samba when you were 19 and 10 years later you're parading with a samba school in the SPECIAL GROUP in Rio de Janeiro's SAMBADROME! Was it amazing? Was it? WAS IT???


In a word... No.

But, would I do it all over again?
In a freakin heartbeat.

Wait, wut?

With both hands!

Last month I spent the day at a seminar that has changed the way I think about life.  It was hosted by an amazing, inspirational woman, Sidra Jafri who shook me, and a room full of attendees, by the shoulders (not literally, but she might as well had) and told us to stop making excuses, break down those self imposed barriers and start opening our eyes and minds to the opportunities all around.

For a long time I've been really struggling to find some balance in my life.  There's been a whopping great imbalance between immersing myself in things that I love but that have become safe, vs those that I need WANT to do for myself, but require more work, and are all together more scary. It's left me feeling like I've lost a bit of myself, and the sense of detachment from achieving some of my goals have left me frustrated and sad at times.

After Sidra's workshop, I've felt more at ease with myself and my situation, and I've been more aware and capable of changing what I don't like. One thing that she positively branded onto my mind is this: when the Universe, God, life or what ever higher being/purpose you do or don't believe, in drops an opportunity at your feet you, you pick it up! DON'T waste it through fear or doubt.  Last week I had a great lesson in this.

My Wednesday last week turned from being a normal humpday to a good day and then great a day.  Why? Because I let it - simple.  I woke up feeling good. My plan was straighforward enough, to have a morning run (I've had runners block for nearly a year) and this was going set me up for a day of writing.   But before I had even left the house for that run, the Universe had already been conspiring to make this Wednesday into a goodun.

Politics of Afro Hair

This year I missed out the on Women of the Women (WOW) Festival at Southbank Centre :(.

Weave vs Natural debate at the WOW Festival 2013

Last year, it was awesome.  Three days of talks, seminars and debates about the issues that face women today.  One of the things I made sure not to miss out on last year was Weave vs Natural? The Politics of Afro Hair. While I'm eagerly awaiting this year's Weave vs 
Natural discussion from WOW 2014 to be uploaded to Youtube, I found this warm up
discussion from BBC4's Women's Hour last Thursday. Journalist Hannah Pool, who chaired last 
year's and this year's Black Hair discussion at WOW, debating the topic of with Black hair with hair 
and make-up artist Editi Udofot. Find out what the ladies had to say about Weave vs Natural HERE.



Kanika x

The Chronicles of a “Gringa” Passista ptII

Vila Isabel in the Sambadrome from 2012

Guys, I am exhausted.

These past couple of weeks, I have mostly been not sleeping.

I am teaching English here in Rio, which I enjoy very much, but irregular working hours to coincide with students' regular working hours means lots of travelling, useless hours missing from my day and very little time for effective daytime napping.

But mostly to blame is samba. Carnaval is soon approaching and boy don't we know it. Before Christmas, rehearsals were Wednesday and Saturdays. Now there has now been a Sunday rehearsal added into the mix. Last week, Tuesday evening was for rehearsing in Sapucai, aka the Sambadrome aka the passarela (catwalk). The hallowed Avenida that sambistas sing about all year round in the run up to this one time of year they are able to show the world what they've got. They are able to be whoever they want to be. The Avenida is where dreams are made, and in my case, come true.

Edson, the Director of the Passistas 

So one Sunday after a street rehearsal (my favourite kind), the Director Edson (left) told us all we needed to be at the Sambadrome at 19:00 in our blue and white to practice with the bateria (drumsssss). I don't know if you know, but dancing with a bateria is maybe one of my favourite things to do in the whole world. And I was about to practice with this school I loved, on the same ground I've seen from the stands and on YouTube and on pirate Carnaval DVDs. And when I stepped onto it in my heels, I felt overcome with emotion and pride.