Home » Archive by category 'Reading'

Reading

H.O.N Weekly : Your Weekly Roundup of Trending News

Here is a roundup of the top current affairs, lifestyle and entertainment news that has been trending for the past week.

1. POLITICS: Kamala Harris makes history has the first-ever woman to be elected vice-president in the US

On November 7th, 2020, four days after the American election day, numerous US media projected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the winners of the presidential elections.

The 4 years of Trump’s presidency have been quite a ride. And this year’s campaign could be described as the most polarized and eventful yet. As of Monday, November 16th, Trump has not yet conceded defeat and he claimed on Twitter (in CAPS letter!) that he is the winner.

Kamala Harris will be the first-ever woman, furthermore woman of color, to occupy this position. She is the daughter of immigrants: her father is Jamaican and her late mother is Indian. In her victory speech, Harris thanked and honored her mother and all African-American women. The latter overwhelmingly showed up at the polls and voted for Biden and Harris (According to national polls, 95% of African-American women voted for the Democrats). They are hailed by many as the ‘backbone of US democracy”.

Listen to Kamala’s victory speech here :

Read this article to learn more about people like Stacey Abrams and Cori Bush, who worked tirelessly for years to put the Democrats back in the White House: the ‘Real MVPs’ of this year’s election (Source: XONecole)

2. WATCH: Beyonce releases behind-the-scene footage of her photoshoot with British Vogue

In the early hours of Monday, November 9th, Beyoncé released a short video of behind-the-scenes footage of her British Vogue photoshoot. The 4 minutes long video, titled ‘A Friday in September’, shows Beyoncé getting ready and playing model for the magazine shooting.

It didn’t go unnoticed to African -especially Congolese- music lovers that the video’s background music is a Congolese song titled Ngai Tembe Eleka, from the late, legendary musician, “Franco” Luambo Makiadi. Franco was a genius guitarist and acclaimed storyteller whose several hits are classics in Congolese music.

For this photoshoot, Beyonce requested to be photographed by a black woman. Read more about 21-year-old Kennedi Carter who was selected to shoot Queen Bey.

Beyonce is keeping her Beyhive excited with multiples projects. From the release of the movie Black is King (I still need to write my ‘think-piece’ on it ) in August to Ivy Park’s latest collection releases and now her interview and photoshoot with British Vogue.

3. MEET Elsa Majimbo, the Kenyan social media sensation who just won the “African Social Star of 2020” at E! People’s Choice Awards

Elsa Majimbo’s funny and witty attitude has kept us laughing during the quarantine and puts her in front of global audiences. She has since been featured on several South African media, spoke to CNN’s Anderson Cooper and, recently landed a Fenty Campaign.

Check out how Elsa has been rehearsing for international fame in her hilarious video below 🙂 .

Watch this interview to know more about Elsa Majimbo :

4. COVID-19: “Lockdown” has been declared ‘Word of The Year’ by Collins Dictionary

Lockdown, quarantine, coronavirus, social distancing… So many words have seen a sharp use during this year, due to the exceptional sanitary situation created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lexicographers registered more than 250,000 usages of the word “lockdown” during 2020, up from just 4,000 last year. (source : BBC)

Did you know or were you using some of these words before the year 2020? Social distancing is totally new to me.

5. TECH: Have you heard about Clubhouse, the latest social app?

Have you heard about Clubhouse, the new invite-only, voice-based social media app where you join and discuss with people in chat rooms? Well, if you haven’t yet, don’t worry you’re probably not the only one.

P.S When you tell your friends about Clubhouse, say that you first read about it here! 😉

The Clubhouse app is still in its beta version. For now, it seems like it’s mostly celebrities and a selected list of people that have been invited to try it out. So, until the rest of us are invited to hang with the cool kids and check it out, here’s how the New-York Times describes the app:

“Clubhouse is a social media app where venture capitalists have gathered to mingle with one another while they are quarantined in their homes. The app is, for now, invite-only, and buzzy: Seemingly everyone who has been allowed to join the early test version, from celebrities like MC Hammer to activists like DeRay Mckesson, has tweeted about it. And it has recently been one of the hottest deals on Sand Hill Road, Silicon Valley’s venture capital nexus.”

Are you eager to try a new social media app or you’re happy with Facebook and Twitter?

darkbean instagram fire facebook twitter GIF

Thanks for reading ! Let me know which story you enjoyed the most or which trending story I might have missed.

Check out below how to connect with me.

Let’s get social, let’s connect!

Website:    http://houseofnzinga.com/

Facebook page : https://web.facebook.com/houseofnzinga/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabulous_trysh/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/house_of_Nzinga/ 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/houseofnzinga

Portfolio : linktr.ee/PatriciaYumbaM

H.O.N Weekly :Your Weekly Roundup of Trending News

HON WEEKLY-16 May 2020

Hey there and welcome to H.O.N Weekly (I hope you know by now that H.O.N stands for House of Nzinga, if not, what kind of friend are you?! serious eyes rolls, lol). It’s a feature, that I plan to bring to you weekly, where I share with you my commentary on the top stories of the week, in lifestyle, pop culture and current affairs or the latest buzz or trends on social media. I will also talk about not to be missed important events and things to look out for during the week.

Trending/Worldwide/Health&Wellness

To kick off this series, I wanted to tackle a subject still trending worldwide: the COVID-19 pandemic naturally, and to look at some African countries’ response.

  • South Africa’s response to the crisis

In South Africa, we just reached the “50 days into under lock-down” milestone. The government has divided the lock-down into phases and, since May 1st, we were downgraded from phase 5 ( the highest level alert) to phase 4. Most of the general public are however still confined at home, with just few more essential workers and business activities being able to operate such as : Uber, Uber Eats and delivery services at restaurants.  South Africa has among the highest numbers on the continent and understandably one of the strictest lock-downs. It is interesting to watch how the lock-down situation is igniting robust discussions on social classes and races divide, privileges, etc. in post-apartheid South Africa.

  • Why is Africa still not ravaged by the pandemic ?

Many western health experts are wondering why Africa is not as badly affected as it was predicted. These interrogations go from genuine medical questions to some more condescending, rooted in Afro-pessimism (even racists) affirmations. It feels as if the world is waiting, sadly, on the pandemic to ravage the ‘dark continent’, natural habitat to deaths, famine and diseases. In the world of Senegalese scholar Felwine Sarr, “Europeans are worried about us, but we’re worried about them.”  

Some experts have started to give some tentative explanations to this like the low median age in Africa, which is only 19, in contrast to the aging population in Europe and elsewhere. Also, Africa is still relatively less connected (in term of international traffic) than the rest of the world and has probably been shielded from the pandemic longer than other countries.

  • It is time to value Africa’s expertise?

One major thing that seems to be underestimated in media reports, is that most Africans government, have been proactive and implemented early measures to control the pandemic, despite the many local difficulties encountered.  

For instance, South African management of the pandemic has been praised by the WHO (early and strict lock-down measures and nation-wide scale testings). Furthermore, Senegal has been developing rapid and cheap tests kits (1 dollar testing kit used to test Dengue fever) and engineers are developing locally manufactured ventilators. All this combined has afforded the West-African country one of the lowest mortality rate combined with some of the highest recoveries rate worldwide. 

Above all this, Africa’s health practitioners have a wealth of experience in dealing with life threatening epidemics and large-scale public health issues such as HIV (South Africa) malaria (most of sub-Saharan countries) and recently Ebola (DRC & West-Africa). It’s easier for them to replicate some treatments and protocols put in places for these diseases to the COVID-19 recent pandemic.

Although we still at the beginning of the pandemic, and it is way too soon to declare victory and relax, (we should absolutely not), let’s hope that the pandemic evolution in Africa continues to defy these somber predictions.  

Finally, it is time for the world to listen to Africa’s contribution and expertise in global public health, medical and pharmaceutical research.

Watch+ Read + Listen

Social media

Although there is not much life happening right now in the big outside world, artists and content creators are carrying us all through this weird time. From social media challenges like the #DontRushChallenge, which show the multi-faceted beauty of black women (quickly emulated and declined into men, babies, doctors, lawyers, bearded men versions), to Tik Tok viral dance challenges and finally to the epic Versuz Instagram battles..I must say, black content creators are literally giving me life! I’m sure you’ve watched or heard of the epic Babyface/TeddyRiley battle, followed up by the soul-soothing, battle of nu-soul divas, Jill Scott/Erikah Badu last week. Be sure to catch the next one, rappers Ludacris Vs Nelly, tonight.

Don’t miss on Netflix’s Made In Africa content

To celebrate Africa Day on 25 May and following its announcement of curating more African content, Netflix has launched “Made In Africa” and made available a collection of African titles on the platform. Be sure to catch Atlantics (Senegal), The boy who harnessed the wind (Malawi), Chief Daddy (Nigeria), Queen Sono, and many more documentaries and series. See the promotion below for more available titles.

Important dates and things to look out for :

To celebrate Africa Day, on 25 May, and to continue to raise awareness around the Covid19 pandemic effect on the continent, several initiatives will take place from this week-end and beyond.

  • 16 May : Africa at home, an evening with artists and international African celebrities such as Congolese rumba artists Fally Ipupa and Ivoirian group Magic system, hosted on the FrenchTV channel Canal Plus.
  • 25 May : #IAMWAN/ #JeSuisWAN : another pan-African initiative with the participation of superstars like Youssou N’dour (Senegal), Oumou Sangare (Mali) , Wizkid (Nigerian) and Kassav  (French Caribbean) to name a few. For more info, check here.

What have you been up to this week?

Xx, PYM

Let’s get social, let’s connect!

Website:    http://houseofnzinga.com/

Facebook page : https://web.facebook.com/houseofnzinga/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabulous_trysh/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/house_of_Nzinga/ 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/houseofnzinga

Portfolio : linktr.ee/PatriciaYumba

I went on a digital detox for 15 days and this is what happened to me !

DigitalDetoxPost-Reading

Hey queens, so this holiday, I went on a (forced) digital detox for 15 days and let me share five things that happened to me. In case you’re wondering why “forced” and why 15 days? Well, because there was a massive countrywide internet and social media shutdown in my home country. So, the internet was completely unavailable. But surprisingly,

I read 5 books. Ok, I’m still reading the 5tth because it’s a massive history book.

Last year, one of my resolutions was to read more, but my phone is a constant distraction and I’ve spent more time reading about Nicki Minaj and Cardi B’s feud than attending to my reading list.

I was more present, mindful, and living in the moment.

Having no internet at all means that no one around the dinner table was on their phones. I had to listen more, be more present in family conversations. No nodding to a conversation while you’re busy liking pictures on Instagram.

I slept better.

OK this a huge one! There was no more waking up at in the middle of the night and reaching out for my phone to check Twitter or Instagram. Yep, I was guilty of that too. And this is a healthy habit I aim to keep for life. I mean unless you’re a doctor on call or work night shifts, but your phone must be on silent or do not disturb during sleep.

I discovered a great African author.

Ok, I could have said that in point 1, but I needed 5 points. But I read 2 amazing books by a Congolese author, Alain Mambackou: Les Lumières de Pointe-Noire and “Les Cigognes sont immortelles.” I loved them so much that I must to write book reviews for both.

I feel less addicted to my phone.

I really love social media, (Which blogger doesn’t?) but this digital detox has helped me feel more detached from my phone and honestly, I’m loving it. I reach for it only when I need it and I try to engage only with content that either educates, inspires or uplifts me.

Do you schedule regular time off your phone or laptop? If yes, I’d love for you share  your digital detox routine with me.

Let’s get social, let’s connect!

Website:    http://houseofnzinga.com/

Facebook page : https://web.facebook.com/houseofnzinga/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabulous_trysh/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/house_of_Nzinga/  (official blog page)

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/houseofnzinga

Portfolio : linktr.ee/PatriciaYumbaM

 

1 2

css.php