Hey y'all, welcome to biopsy, my name is Daisy, I'm your host. If you're listening for the first time, welcome to the family. If you're listening again, welcome back to the family. So good to be here again.
Oh, it is, really, oh, it's a vibe. I just want to apologize. I know this episode is coming out three weeks later. Before you kill me, I have had a call for the last three months and 50 months.
God forbid, for the last three weeks. And it was so bad I actually couldn't speak into a microphone. I was coughing, you think I have TB. And it was just horrible, really.
So I couldn't get into recording. And that is why it's coming out this late. Also, please take that apology with all this interior to me. You can hold it with what?
I did it with what I just said. Anyway, welcome, welcome to the show. This week is also going to be a show that's going to be me. It's going to be me for a while before, as we keep talking to interesting people and try to figure out what the intention for the next season is series, I mean, that we're currently working on.
So stay tuned, stay tuned, my friends. I want to say thank you to everyone who's been supporting the show as well, all you listeners, the ones recommending friends. I appreciate that. We are on SaaCloud, Swifi, iTunes, and anywhere else you get podcasts.
If you go to a place where they first podcast and you don't find us, just let me know and I'll hook it up and make sure it happens. So I got you covered. I really got you. Now, this week, since it's been three weeks, a lot of things happened in the three weeks that I'll just touch on.
I know I promised to do a show on If Beel Street, we'll talk. But first of all, yo, if you listened to the previous episode, you heard me shout out Virginia King. I hadn't even watched this show yet. I mean, the film yet, but I knew she was amazing.
She's out there Oscar. And then after watching it, I was like, God, this woman, it was brilliant, honestly. So go watch it if you haven't. And then we will do a group conversation about it.
That's why I didn't want to talk about it here. I know I said I would, but I thought it would be better to hear different perspectives because it was such a big film. And by big, I mean, in terms of themes and representation, yo, such a brilliant film. And it was all in my thought, always.
But yeah, if you read the book too, hit me up. I want to talk about the book. Honestly, the book and the film are very, very similar, which is one of the things that I thought was done pretty smartly by Brian Jenkins in terms of direction. Yeah, so If Beel Street could talk is going to be an episode by itself with other people that I'm going to have here.
In, yeah, in terms of the other things I've been doing in these three weeks, you guys, I watched us on Thursday. You know, listen, if you haven't watched the film, go watch it. As it's just, you know, when you watch the film, and then at the end I was like, what does happen? Like, I've seen a lot of things happening, a lot of references, you know the references.
Some people got the hook of the film initially. I didn't until like, okay, if you haven't watched it, I don't want to spoil it. But the twist, I guess, I should call it. Some people realize the twist early on in the film.
I didn't see it until it was end. But once I realized it, I was surprised. It was kind of like, yeah, I kind of saw this happening like when she made this face and did this and did that. But it was so much fun watching it in a film of, there was a lot of black people in there, which is amazing.
Oh, it is. But it was a mixed crowd, which is great. But the whole theater was reacting at the same time, which I always find hilarious. I watch Black Panther in a big screening as well.
That one was like 99% black. In fact, if you were black, you would probably like, missed place. It was just hilarious. It wasn't even scary.
It was more with Vila, but definitely nothing like Gera, totally different films. But the whole theater would react. It wasn't even screams just more like, oh, oh my god. Imagine the whole theater.
Not everyone, but you know what I mean by the whole theater. It was fun. That's what I'm saying. It was great.
Watch a film. I'm trying really hard not to spoil it for people, but it's made a lot of money and he has to repeat it. And the whole cast, these people had to act two characters who in the same space at the same time, I'm pretty sure that takes a lot of time in terms of mastering two different characters and a lot of expertise. These people were really good actors.
That's what I'm saying. Yeah, watch a film. Watch a film. I also watched Rafiki for the second time.
Yes. Okay, so if you don't watch Rafiki, it's a film, a short film by Winery Kachio, who's a Kenyan director, who rather is doing a lot of brilliant things. And this film has played a huge role in putting her, geez, English English, putting her on different platforms internationally. And this film is very important to the LGBTQI community of Kenya because it has really helped in terms of putting pressure on the government to change the constitution, which you can imagine why it's like living in a society that doesn't accept you because of their ignorance and a constitution to back that up.
So actually only a week ago, it was a national gay and lesbian human rights commission made legal in Kenya. It existed, but it was illegal this whole time. So that's just a shed of light on how big of an issue it is in Kenya for this law to change and how unsafe it's been for people within the LGBTQI community. So many things to change.
And the hearing for people 162 because that's a such a constitution. It's going to be in May. So they postponed it from March to May. We'll wait till May and hear what's up.
But it looks things are looking up at this by the commission being made legal. But yeah, I think you is a film about Sikhi and Kana and they fall in love and it's a society they're living in. It's hard for them to express their love and be who they are and therefore, it's between love and safety, which shouldn't be the case for anyone. Such a great film, you know.
Like, while we presented all the characters in this film was so real. Like I could actually see people within those characters, which is great. And when we talk about representation, a lot of us do, it's what we mean. Like we need to tell our own story.
So we're able to show you their real representation and not just stereotypes because we're not just stereotypes. In fact, most of the times we are not the stereotype and then we're forced to live into it. But conversation for another day, while we're presented, even the neighborhood they chose, I think was really smart. Also, part of it was my hood.
I could see some fuss. I'm like, okay, another spot, another spot. Not all of them, but most of them. Really well, music, everything about Bafiki is just amazing.
Look up the dates for a Fiki on their social pages. And Nairobi, there's a screening next month in May in I think Kissumu, Marasa in Nairobi. Have a look, I'm not sure. But I know there's screenings, two of them that are coming up.
This film was Bani Nairo in Kenya. So it's green once last year and then it's green again. So these are small steps, but they're helping the country together eventually. And I really hope for the best, we'll talk about it in 16-20 later.
Maybe once we get a hearing. I don't know, we'll see what's up. But that's something else that I watched that was pretty amazing. Catch you in the film festival around you.
It's around the world. It's so many festivals. So have a look. Also, I want to say a massive shout out to my homie, Kahlio Oji, who was the writer of Blackwood film.
It's a short film that I did the sun design for. But man, that was such a great family to work with. And the story behind Blackwood is amazing. Congratulations to you and Mimo, who was a producer.
And they got accepted to Atlanta Film Festival. And they're there right now, I reckon. And yeah, it's amazing. Also, other films that I've worked on that have been picked for festivals.
Just seeing people, you know, it's really great seeing your people work on something and how much effort they put into something. And that being recognized for what it is. And I guess getting the opportunities and the spaces that they deserve. Which it's just, it's amazing.
It's amazing. I'm here for my people. I want you to win. So, yeah, congrats, Y'all.
Now, this week, it's gonna be short in sweet as well. I know it's the last time, but I reckon 20, 30 minutes is short for podcasts. Oh, you know, I don't know, you guys let me know. But in comparison to other episodes, yeah, this one's gonna be short.
I want to talk about joy in different aspects. And maybe aspects of, I don't know. We'll see, it's probably gonna move on to other things. You know me, I go everywhere, I talk about everything.
I was fasting for a couple of days, a couple of weeks, actually. Just sunrise to sunset. And within fasting, I had more reasons for fasting. But after this fast, on the very last day, I was so happy.
Like, I can't even describe this happiness. But I just felt really happy. And I was laughing, I was filled with so much joy. And I was in the house by myself with a dog.
And I was playing with a dog. I just wanted to share this joy with other people. And I genuinely could not describe this joy till now. I know it's hard telling you about it without being able to describe it.
And it came from the heart, like, it was just a good feeling. It was peaceful, it was filled with so much love for other people. And I think I don't think I even, I tried to call people, I just didn't. Anyway, the next day I went to work and I was like, yeah, I'm gonna really get this energy.
You know, just share with other people. And I did. I was really happy. And I was selling my workmates like, yo, I just feel so happy.
I don't know what happened last night, but I was filled with so much joy. I just wanna share with other people, good vibes, you know. And sometimes the working environment is really easy to sleep into negativity, especially if one person does something wrong, which segues into something else. Anyway, and then I had a situation with this one lady who made the wrong order for two different things.
But she made this order for other people. So when the other people received it, they were upset. Not necessarily upset. They're like, oh, I think this is wrong.
But when you know, like the both of us, me and this lady who did the order, we knew what was going on. We knew what was going on. We both knew that she was wrong, but she was making me look bad in front of these other people. So the first time I was like, okay, cool.
I'll give you the right thing. The second time I was like, nah, listen, your friend over here ordered the wrong thing. She just told me to take this out. I took whatever she asked for.
This is so she asked for. And the first thing she ordered for was like, uh, that's not what I wanted. Eventually, gave her what she wanted. But that situation made me so upset.
Remember, at the beginning of the day, I was like, woof, good energy, good vibes, especially along, you know, you want love here, you want joy here, you go. And I was really upset for like 30 minutes. And it just really annoyed me that this lady knew what was up. And I could see that she knew what's up.
But she decided not to take responsibility for her actions. And I've been at the cross for the sake of what? Here's honesty, you can take it or not take it. And she chose not to.
I was upset afterwards, but in the moment I was just so confused. I'm like, you're really going to sit there and act like this wasn't your mistake. Right? Anyway, I'm in back.
I was upset for like 30 minutes. I was on the cell eventing. I was just really trying to understand. I was like, damn, what made her just not, I don't know.
What is it? What is it about is that made this lady just not own up to what she did. And she came back later and she spoke to me really nicely. And they made me wonder like, what is up with you?
Like, you lied two seconds ago. We both said you lied. And you're going to come back and act like nothing happened. Like, you did not do anything.
The least you could do is even apologize in chamber. Like, hey, listen, I know what happened there. I'm sorry. I don't know.
Like, maybe I don't know if that would have made it better anyway. But I had to also see, I had to deal with my anger. And that's what happened in about 30 minutes. And I just had to tell myself that she's not worth of that power.
I can't give that much power to this person to ruin the rest of my day. I had a great day until this point. And this small thing, really, really small thing. This person that I may not even see again, I cannot give that much power over my life for something like that.
I had to forgive her within me and then the rest of her had to deal with. And just let it go. And that's what I did. I just let it go.
I forget if I let it go. And I was like, you know what? God bless you. And not with any seconds, I mean it.
I was just like, seriously, God bless you. I know what you're going through and know what's happening here. But, go with God. I'm done.
And it was relieving. Once I let it go, I felt so good. And I'm not saying that we should let go of things just like that. I'm saying we need to acknowledge our emotions.
At that point, I was angry. And I needed to acknowledge that anger and deal with that anger. And I did that by also thinking about this, make me feel bad. Why did this make me feel bad?
I could tell that she's aware of what she's doing. And once I could tell she's aware that she's wrong, that was enough for me. Because at least you know you're wrong. Now, that's what you to deal with.
I had to deal with that. But yeah, I let it go. But I had to deal with that anger. And it was just not worth it.
Like, I couldn't compromise that. And I went back to being happy for the rest of the day. And I radiated good energy to other people. Because what happens is when we hold onto these emotions, it transfers from that situation to other people.
And it affects how we relate with other people. Which isn't cool. Because there's other people who do nothing to you. And the least you can do is deal with it.
So it doesn't affect that people negatively. So yeah, I'm actively trying to live in the moment as well. Because this is a segue to something else not related. I was listening to a podcast.
And this man was saying, there's a conversation coming from who he was. But he was being asked about death, right? Like if he's afraid of death. And he said, no, I'm not afraid of death.
Because I've learned how to live life fully. And he was talking about how a lot of times we forget to live in the present. Because we're so busy planning for the future. Now, it sounds super basic.
But it's very true. Because when you're planning for the future, right? You get to the future. And then you keep planning for the future.
So you never stop to live in the present. Because you're constantly planning for going to happen afterwards. So you don't get to enjoy what you have within that moment. And within that timeline, before whatever your future is happens in the future.
And I used to do that a lot. A lot. And slowly, in different ways, I realized that, man, I'm thinking life too much. Sometimes you plan for things.
They don't happen the way you want them to happen. And sometimes they take longer, but they still happen. But I forgot what was there in the moment. And even when I did, I was not present.
That's the other thing. It's one thing to participate and it's another to be present. Sometimes I really wasn't present within spaces, with friends, with family, and whatever setting I was in. And it takes a conscious effort to acknowledge that we are not doing the things.
And to practice how to do these things. And some things you have to do actively. It's part of my mindfulness. I'm just learning how to be present in the surroundings that you're in.
Even in small things like being in the park or in the gardens or by the pond. With the trees around you, with the birds around you, with animals, with people. Hearing him say that the way he did, it made me reflect. And I've noticed that I've been better at living in the present.
At some point, I actually was watching 2018. Yeah, I think it was early 2018 or maybe to end of 2017. I can't remember one of them. I actively said that I'm not even going to keep planning for these things.
I'm just going to go with the flow. And going with the flow for me was, we'll just see how he pans out. Like I'm going to do my best and then hopefully that best is going to push me to whatever. It's going to push me too.
Because I thought I was doing so much by getting very little out of it. I was talking about purpose and intention here before. A lot of it was because those two things were not clear to me. So I was just working towards what I was working at, knowing what I wanted out of it.
But once my purpose and intention was clear, then I was able to be more present and also do things with a lot of intention. And let me tell you, satisfaction comes from the smallest things when those things are clear. I think you should apply that in different ways in your life. But try, let's try and live in the moment.
Be present. Even, like I said, within conversations, within spaces with our friends and family, within nature as well. I think I've said this here before, but nature will always continue to inherit your because it's wonderful with one another. Like the symbiosis of animals with the trees with the birds with the water with all these things within nature and how they coexist with one another is just beautiful.
And I'm sure you've seen cases where animals protect each other, but it's like a lion. And that the day I saw an article by Lion that ate two hunters in Africa. I'm not sure where. I was like, damn, this is a lion that's protecting the other animals because it's aware of what's happening with its surroundings.
And as human beings, we're just like, we like distracting other people's things in lives. And also other spaces like nature and animals like cutting down trees, you know, small things like this. We just, we like ruining things. Stop.
Just stop. Anyway, but also last week I hang out with these three amazing kids. Oh my God. Ha!
Such, well, it was just a beautiful experience. It was a very humbling experience. It was also really random too. But just observing these three boys, it just showed me how they have so much love for the things around them and the people around them.
And as adults, we just take it for granted how much we influence the lives of kids when they're growing up, until the point where they're able to think for themselves and also understand why they're doing what they're doing. The oldest of these kids are seven. So seven, four, and two. Yeah, seven, four, and two.
And just hang out with them and small things like that, like, this kid is like, this is gross debt. For some reason he was really interested in grass. But I noticed with these kids, particularly they were very interested in nature. And the youngest kid would always see a bird.
Like he'd always spot a bird from anywhere. And he went to a point later. I was with a friend of mine. And we were throwing rocks into the water.
But there was this duck passing. And he said to him, it was like, oh no, don't throw the rocks, because it will disturb the ducks. Like wait for the ducks to go, and then we can throw the rocks. And they're like, okay cool.
But why? It's like, oh, it's a space, you know, like, just to respect the space. It was so beautiful how they took that. And every time a duck would pass by, they just stopped.
And that was so beautiful for me to see that they understood the significance and the beauty and the importance of respecting other beings that are present within our world, that may not necessarily be human. That taught me a lot, even if we reflect a lot. That was just one part of that day or the afternoon that I spent to them. I was definitely, I think we hang out for like two hours, just two.
But I learned so much within those two hours and I reflected a lot that evening. But yeah, what do you guys do to think about that scenario and how the things we do and how they affect the beings around us that may not necessarily be human? Small things like that, or even bigger things that lead to global warming. Like not littering.
That is so easy, not to litter. So easy. But the effect of littering is so much bigger than us that we don't know how to deal with it today. Actually, I'm lying.
We don't know how to deal with it. We just choose not to actively practice. And we need to be aware of how these things are affecting not just the people around us, not just the people around us, but the entire world. Like we have cyclones happening in South Africa.
People are dying, dying for climate change that they did not even participate in. Like this is a Western world and things are happening that are affecting people in Africa. I know we suffered so much. This is a drought in Kenya.
This is the effect of climate change, but also the situation that it is being dealt with is a result of classicism, corruption and greed. And it bothers me so much that every time this drought, like these people who, which is the area that has drought right now in Kenya, has a really big budget of $34 billion if I'm not wrong. And to find the exact numbers, but a couple of billions that were put in there to actually deal with drought and provide food in case of drought. And this money was also put in place to set out infrastructure that would enable the people to practice agriculture, to avoid the situation.
Now, for some reason, when this drought, we are calling on the nation to raise money to buy food for these people. And the thing is, canons will give and we always give. Since I was born, I just, like, it's funny, but since I was born, I've always known up to China as a place where there's always drought and people always raising money to give them food. Always, always, it's always.
And it hurts me knowing that money's put aside. Where's our money? What was it useful? It's still it.
It's still it. It's still it. It's still it. We've become so complacent with mediocrity as a nation that I don't know all of you can't listen, but I'm saying this because this probably applies to whatever situations you're in with whatever country you're in.
And especially, and even if it doesn't apply to the country in the effects of you, it's not that you should hold and call it out for what it is. And honestly, we're living at a time where we have to realize as a people, we have the power. We do. We really do.
And the people who, I think I said this last time, I feel like I'm repeating myself, but we have the power and we need to recognize that without power, we can change so much. And of course, we're not going to look at our friends dying and our fellow Kenyan dying. So we will give, we will contribute and we'll find a way to provide for them food for now, but that's only sustainable for a really short time. And the fact that we're going with our lives and we forget about these people until it's drought season and we're like, oh, yeah, to Ghana again.
Okay, raise money. Cook local outside in 1000 shillings. It's not okay. It really isn't.
And I could go on about this forever. But it's just really frustrating to have a government that is self-serving. And as a nation, being very complacent again, and voting on tribal lines, on class lines, because I'm telling something, having the same people in power who do not care about you in any way. And what this reminds me of is a situation when it comes to race.
And as a black woman, there's no day I'm sitting around thinking, there's no day. No day I will sit around thinking of how to not move from where I am with my people. I have to go with my people. I can't leave them behind, right?
And it's not a responsibility that has been given to me, but it's something that I want to do for my people because I recognize how much you've been disenfranchised. So in the same way as a Kenyan, I'm not going to look at my fellow Kenyan dying. I want to progress with them. But to progress with them means finding ways that's sustainable and using stages of platforms to do something.
So we are aware, but informed. And as we work, even as a diaspora, there's other people working here with Australia trying to figure out ways to change something. And if you think you're capable of doing something to change that situation, and even helping people in South Africa who are going through this cycle, it's really bad. People are dying who need money, please contribute.
There's a lot of ways to contribute to these people. In West Africa, people are being killed in villages, killed, slaughtered. There's a massacre out there. And it's not religious.
Necessarily, it is innocent people. And we have to put our prejudices aside. I know this is hard for people who are used to living within prejudice. But honestly, try and think of humanity now as opposed to your place in society and whatever it's giving you.
Okay. Now, the last one's just going to be a short read. This is never going to take long. If you don't listen to a read, please do.
Amazing. I saw this tweet early on today. That was shared by someone. Her name is Jazzy Dodson.
I mean, I think it was a Facebook post? Yeah, it is Facebook. It made me so happy. Because it is very true.
Remember when Team Rotten came out and said that black people don't fit in with the aesthetic of his films? Remember when Woody Allen said he would never cast black actor unless he was required? With this Scott once said he wouldn't ever be able to get approval to mount a major motion for picture or ever see financing to make a film starring someone named Mohammed so-and-so from such-and-such. Y'all want to be mad at Jordan Peele for saying he's not interested in telling white stories.
Sorry, I lost it. Yeah, I'll tell white stories when your faves been deliberately openly excluding black people from participating in their work since the beginning of film history. And y'all haven't said shit. One director saying he's focusing on telling black stories and using black actors is impressive to white people.
When you're casting to privilege, equality feels like oppression. Hey, I'll say that again. When you're casting to privilege, equality feels like oppression. Now, she said it all really.
There's not much I can say to add on to that. I'm just going to say, like, if you feel threatened by people telling their own stories, you're probably a colonizer in respect because... How? How?
How? How is that even possible? Like, I think for me, and I know for a lot of people around me, it's just fascinating that when we decide to do what we can do and get the spaces to show this stuff, and people, we act like this. I think that reaction is more like, oh crap, we didn't think you're actually going to do this.
You're actually going to make it because you already know and you're already aware that you're participating in structures that have been put to block us from getting whatever you want to get. And so when we get there without you, you feel like we need you. No, we don't. It's 2019, y'all.
We awoke. We are awake. Like, we are not playing. We're doing things our way.
And for us, no pun intended. So that tweet is everything. There's not much I don't do it. And I think working with community and just knowing what's up.
And first of all, if you consider yourself an ally, hmm, hmm, think of what you're doing to change things around you. And as I close, wow, as I close, this feels like it was a talk and now I'm finishing. Hey, as I close, I just want to say that, why privilege? This statement, I'm going to read this last part again.
Yo, it was just so powerful. When she said, why, when you're accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. There's a job-wing tree that is being cut down for people to save three minutes. Three minutes on the train.
Three minutes. And if you use a train, you know, like, three minutes is not much. Three minutes is literally one stop. And the way train lines are built here, one stop from the other is not too far away.
But three minutes, you've existed in this city, in this land for so long without that three minutes that you're trying to save. But you're trying to erase something that holds so much significance for the very people that you have colonized and continue colonizing in different ways that they cannot live in their own land. Think twice. Never twice.
Like, I don't know what's wrong with you. We'll be on thinking. You just need to stop. Stop, stop, stop.
It's not right. It's not right. That tree holds a lot of significance, culturally, spiritually, and its existence for its people. It's people.
The ancestors were there. And you know, I understand that a lot of you, just because things don't mean anything, particularly white people, you think it's not important. I don't know what your culture is if it's foodie and I don't know about cues, but some people do have culture. And indigenous people of this land, who you've kicked out, and if you're remaining, you're still trying to kick out somehow.
Like, if you're an ally, this is your opportunity to say something and do something. It's a fundraiser that's happening on Wednesday. The, what did this one say? The third of April.
April. Sorry, I had to think about that. April. And there's a lot of places you can go to fundraise to help save this tree, because it's not just a tree.
It's more than a tree. And I know a lot of you, I think of it as just a tree. And I'm saying white people because that's destruction that's helping to demolish this tree. And if you live in Australia, if you know anything about the history of this country, you understand why I'm calling out white people.
Because the rest of us are pretty much immigrants. And also as settlers, the rest of us, we need to support indigenous people this land, because if you weren't for them and everything that they've been through and everything that they've done, and then being welcoming to us, we wouldn't be here. Because we know that because the very white people are trying to kick them out of their own land. And we're not even in our own lands, and they welcome us into this land.
So do something, say something, act. There is a Facebook page that goes by Jabru and Heritage Protection Embassy. You can find that on Facebook, and they have a lot of details as to what they're doing and how you can help. There's a Google Doc that's been put there that has all the different ways that you could help.
They're pretty active, they've done a lot. And also a lot of people went there on the day that they were supposed to demolish the tree, cut down the tree. And those protests are what the protests that happen on those days, which has allowed us to even have this time to talk about this. So, yeah, do something.
Do something, do something. Yeah, I think I'm going to leave it at that. And I'll catch you all next time. Thank you so much for listening.
I hope this was actually short and sweet. Anyway, I'm not sure about this week, but yeah, thanks for listening. Thanks for being patient. And I'll catch you all next time.
Bye.