I spend about one week a month in Harare these days and I always end up to the same places, the restaurant strip at Sam Levy's Village where the Keg and Sable, Miller's Cafe and now O'Hagan's in. It is Harare's answer to Ocean Drive in Miami and when having lunch one afternoon during last Christmas holidays, Zanele Chitepo and I were cracking up because there was a Ferrari, a Rolls Royce and some other fancy car parked up at the front. If you have a cool ride, what better place to show it off than in front of some terraced restaurants? I must say, ever since OHagan's opened, service at Miller's has improved substantially; finally to match the cuisine. Christmas time is the best time to be in Harare because all the Diasporans are back home. The highlight of the season has got to be Robin Vela's 26 December party in Ballentayne Park which got even bigger the second year. Even though I had stopped drinking I had to drink the Moet because I haven't so much champagne since my Lagos days. Thank goodness my cousin Saki was controlling things because I got my brother, my cousins and their small army of friends in. My extended family rolls in a big crew including the Moyanas, Kadungures, Mhlangas, Maparas and miscellaneous Peterses so it is difficult to separate us all.
I came back from a 10 day stay in Harare last week. This trip I tried to avoid doing the usual thing and hitting the usual spots, which means I stretched myself to do more than the dinners I'm used to. I'm having out with my girl Shingi who's just moved back home from Joburg so she was acting as my social guide. The first place we went to was for drinks one night at Blue on 2, a bar on the corner of Second Street Extension and Churchill Avenue. My girl Amina also joined us and we had a great time catching up. However, the place had a lousy Irish band and there was some rowdy Irish dancing as the night drew to a close. Undeterred, us three Musketeers set off again the following night to check out the band at Amanzi. Amina's husband looked amazed as he watched us set off again, for the second night in a row. We has an ok dinner dinner at Amanzi and moved to the bar where the band was playing. The band was actually pretty good and it seemed like the whole of Harare was there. You are better off eating at the bar though, if you have any hope of getting a seat. We didn't stay late, as a result.
The next day, which was a Friday, I actually rested. I spent most of my days at the gym that my mother owns, Body Active, at Borrowdale racecourse. I get to use the internet there and there's a pretty good cafe there for coffee and lunch. So during the week I have my meetings and entertain there. My younger cousins and their friends work at the gym so it is pretty cool and hip. There was a lot of activity because the ZARfest concert featuring Timbaland & Co was going to take place that Saturday so the crew was there setting up. My brother's friend was involved so the guys had advance warning that Ciara was going shopping at Sam Levy's Village, etc. Both my brother and cousin offered to get me a ticket for the $200 VVIP marquee but I refused on principle that the only artists that one should be paying $200 for are the old, established ones like Celine Dion. Especially in an African country where civil servants are earning $150 per month but I guess Kenny Kunene is not catering for that demographic!
The following day, Saturday, I had a quick coffee with Nicky Moyo and his buddies at the Rainbow Towers Hotel and as luck would have it I was back there again that evening for the African Diplomat Wives' Ball, to celebrate Africa Day. Each country brought their food so I had fun trying different cuisines. I had my Egusi soup, fried chambo fish from Malawi and I also tried Angolan food, which I liked. The Real Sounds of Africa played and I even managed to dance, despite recovering from a recent medical procedure on my back. Free alcohol will make you do anything!
Afterwards we were feeling adventurous so Shingi and I made a stop at Chez Ntemba, the hottest dance club in Africa. I quickly acquired an admirer who lined the table in front of us with drinks. Around 2am we decided to headed home and as we were passing by the racecourse we saw all the cars and heard the music so we decided to look in on the ZARfest concert. We easily talked our way in (I can talk my way into any gig) and made our way right into the VVIP tent where our brothers were surprised to see us, but not too surprised, considering that this is me we are talking about. Lil Kim was finishing her set then Ciara came on and sang a couple of songs. When she finished, I was told that we'd missed Fat Joe, who had been great so I ordered a drink waiting for Timbaland, only to be told that he was not coming! Now I love me some Timbaland so I was mad disappointed. There was nothing else for it but to go home. On the Monday I caught up with a friend at the usual place, OHagan's. You cannot stay a week in Harare without doing lunch at Miller's Cafe and a drink at OHagan's!
My daytime activities were also pretty substantial. Sanjay Babbar, of the Kia and Fiat franchise, invited me to the prize-giving event for the 10km fun-run for the mayor's Christmas Cheer Fund which was held on Africa Day at Old Hararians. I couldn't run but it was great to meet up with all the movers and shakers who are part of the Fund. I also ran into some old friends and made new ones like the artist, Albert Chimedza, who invited me to his home for lunch the following Sunday. Albert and his wife are gracious hosts who had a diverse group of people at their home. There was a banker, a European Union staffer, an African American woman who was travelling through Africa, my friend Steve and me. The lunch was so much fun that I left at 5pm but I believe it finally ended at midnight. Now that's the way to entertain! I finally left Harare on the 18.45pm SAA fight to Joburg which was also a bit of a party because there was a bunch of people I knew on the flight. I travel so much that the guy in the bar downstairs at the Harare airport knows what kind of books I read! Now next stop Copenhagen and the US!
