BEAUTY FOR A CAUSE: ALAFFIA

Now that the weather is getting colder and my skin is getting drier, I am having a major love affair with coconut. Coconut is very hydrating for the skin, so I use it externally and take it internally, as well. I have a coconut body butter, I use coconut oil on my body, as well as to cook with. I drink coconut milk and water, daily; and  most recently, I started using a coconut face toner from the brand EverDay Coconut, which is  a part of Alaffia Sustainable Skin Care and EveryDay Shea.

Founded by Togolese native,Olowo-n’djo Tchala, Alaffia is all about empowering West African communities by focusing on fair trade, alleviating poverty, and gender equality. 

GET FAMILIAR: SHEVA ALOMAR

Video-games are a great medium of storytelling, you can introduce exotic characters and locales and create a universe that allows others to fully immerse themselves into the story. One storyline that is very popular in gaming is that of a zombie outbreak/apocalypse, don't ask me why, and no series is more successful in that genre than Resident Evil.

PACIFIC RIM

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of the Kaiju, or Monster film genre, and I'm also a fan of big giant robots fighting said monsters. Pacific Rim combines my two loves,  into one epic monster fighting movie that manages to hold your interest throughout the entire film, although I could be being totally biased here. The main story centers around Raleigh Becket, played by Charlie Hunnam, and how he teams up with a resistance group led by Stacker Pentecost, played by Idris Elba, to stop the impending monster apocalypse. Can we talk about how awesome Idris is in this film? His character commanded presence each time he appeared on screen and you really got that sense that he was a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders; also, he is the main reason why different nations have abandoned their differences and have teamed up with each other. I don't want to give too much away since the movie is fairly new, but  I will say that if you want to watch an entertaining film, you need to go see this movie. Don't believe me? Check this out.

AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY: SHANGO UNCHAINED

Shango, the African God of Thunder and Lightning, is worshiped by the Yoruba in West Africa. He was created from the union of two men: the physical manifestation of the god of reason Obtala, and Aganju, the god of fire. His godly lineage gives him great physical strength and the ability to conjure a lightning bolt at will.

AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY:ANANSI THE SPIDER

Anansi the Spider is a famous oral tale that originated in Western Africa. Kweku Anansi is the son of the supreme being, Nyame, the Sky God.

Nyame created all of mankind and Anansi, meaning spider in Akan, was the first human he created. Although he was given the great ability of determining where rivers flood and where the oceans end, Anansi was known more for his mischievous behavior. Unfortunately, his trickery and awful behavior ultimately led Nyame to turn his son into a spider. From that moment on, Anansi had to solely use his mental skills to survive.