Zebra Loves to Travel - South London

Zebra loves South London. Also known as the dirty South with an accent. Okay, maybe that's just me who calls it that, but still Zebra draws its eye to the hidden treasures of London, England. The popular choice when it comes to art, cuisine and nightlife is usually to explore the North and Central areas. The likes of Oxford street, Soho, Covent Garden, etcetera. The obvious choices indeed. An explorer, by definition, seeks other less announced areas, so on that tip the Zebra traveler set out south of the river to a quaint location laced with artistic and cultural undertone, and food. The traveler discovers a new love.

Destination: Dulwich Village (South East).

A small residential town, with a bouquet of lovely shops ranging from restaurants, free range grown meat shop, winery, florists, local bespoke fashion design, tea houses - to museums, churches and art galleries. This town is filled with extremely beautiful real estate, all of which are detailed with well maintained forms of greenery.

Dulwich Village is a treasure cove and it certainly holds its own in a very quiet, chic, delicate yet rugged way. Its location is central to other treasures in the south, such as Greenwich (Market and Maritime Museum), Forest Hill (the Horniman Museum & Aquarium), Catford (The Broadway Theatre) and Brixton (Market and Eclectic Vibes). And that is only naming a few. South London offers a refreshed outlook on passé ideas fantasized by many whenever thoughts of Big Ben flood their minds. This exciting realm, rich in culture especially, hovers close to the ground – the heart beat of a far more unified London. In our opinion, off course.

Check out www.southlondonguide.co.uk/dulwichvillage for a taster of what this quaint little city village has to offer. Next stop down South ... Catford maybe?

Courtesy of Uchenna Ebilah

Zebra Loves Music - SOUL:ID

Zebra loves SOUL:ID

This amazing, musical, Nubian trio come packed with the 3 S’s - Sexy, Sleek and Soulful.
They hail from Africa, Tchaï (Burundi), Dad’D (D.R.Congo) and V (Rwanda). United with Producer Urban Deep (Austria/Belgium), they form SOUL:ID. Their music style, "Afropean Soul" music, is a successful fusion of African and European rhythm, style and beats. All this is complimented by the wise, uplifting and exciting words in their lyrics, usually conveyed by speaking, singing and rapping; with the occasional hand clapping and yelping, which rally and amuse.

Zebra, stage side at the one of the Soul-D-Out events, watched as the typically cool audience in all their majestic yet mellowed-out splendour, came alive when V went into a freestyle that created a vibe that was nothing if not electric. Find a way to see them live. Or second best thing, buy their latest work: Sex, Love & Philosophy. Worth every penny!

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Each of them brings something valuable and unique to the table. Aside from their seductive style which has attracted giants in the music world, such as Wyclef Jean, Craig David, Youssou N’Dour, Robert Palmer and Zap Mama, to work collaboratively with them. These three serve as a positive example of a beautiful and stylish multicultural society.

Check out their website www.soul-id.com and stay connected by joining their myspace page.

Courtesy of Uchenna Ebilah

Zebra Loves Food & Drinks - The Orchid Café and Bistro

Zebra loves The Orchid Café and Bistro.

The Orchid Café and Bistro is located on Isaac John in GRA, Lagos, Nigeria. It is an oasis of calm and warmth from the rigors of Lagos life. First impressions, the place looks really clean and fresh. It is quite small and cozy with bright lights enticing you in. The staff is super friendly and attentive and wait on your order. Proprietor, Dr Robert is also around most of the time and he extends that personal touch. If you want something that’s not on the menu, he’s willing to make it for you.

Go there for Sunday brunch with your girlfriends or lunch on a Saturday in between your shopping/visiting friends. The food is delicious, the drinks sublime and the atmosphere heavenly. I discovered The Bistro in the last week of my trip to Lagos and no lie I found myself there every day till I left. With a selection of other cakes and pastries, there is something for every taste. I simply cannot recommend it enough.

Zebra Tip: - Make sure to try the pancakes – so fluffy they literally melt in your mouth – with whipped cream, syrup and some fruit. Order the fruit shakes with a twist (ask for a side of vodka) – just enough to give you kick to carry you through the day. Go and enjoy it as soon as possible.

Courtesy of Lara Olafisoye

Zebra Loves Personality - Chief (Mrs.) Elemanya Ebilah

Zebra loves Chief (Mrs.) Elemanya Ebilah

It’s always difficult to believe certain women’s ages, especially when you know them. On finding out that Chief (Mrs.) Elemanya Ebilah was turning 60 on November 12th, I was pleasantly surprised. She really looks younger than her age. On thinking about it, I realized that the secret to her youthful looks lay in her jovial approach to life and the satisfaction she feels in herself.

A native of Nguzu-Edda in Ebonyi State, Nigeria she is married to Chief Emeka Ebilah from Abia State and has 3 wonderful children Ugoma, Uchenna and Obi. Having healthy, hardworking and independent children is her proudest achievement to date. Aunty Elem as she is fondly called is a dedicated Public Servant, working in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority as a Finance Director. In addition to celebrating 60 fulfilling years she will also be retiring after many years of service where she was generally recognized as hardworking, stable and a team player.

A throw back to the old school, who is very comfortable with the fashion changes around her, she is a huge Zebra fan (does she have a choice though, seeing as…). Her one style rule however is to always keep the look simple while also being elegant. Importantly, Auntie’s style rules also dictate that without good carriage, one cannot pull off any look well (take note ladies, many a contestant on NTM has been dismissed because of this, so you know it’s true!)

She devotes most of her spare time to supporting programmes that cater to the under-privileged and motherless in the society. Aunty Elem sees the Zebra woman as youthful, vibrant, fashionable, elegant but most importantly, happy. Mrs. Ugochi Madueke, Mrs. Felicia Obilo, Mrs. Sefi Momoh and Mrs. Joy Agbo are all Zebra women in her book. She would love to see Nigerian women be Industry leaders, and would love to live to see a female Prez in Nigeria (all hail equality, it might actually just happen!!)

AT A GLANCE:

• Hobbies: singing, driving and entertaining her family and friends
• Personal style: Simplicity, Elegance and Good carriage
• 5 Beauty/Fashion Essentials: Eat Healthy; Drink a lot of Water; Regular Manicures & Pedicures; Neat Hair; Bathing twice a day or at least washing your face every night before going to bed.
• Must-Have Accessory: Simple and Fashionable jewelry
• Favorite Travel Destination: UK
• Last Word: Always be true to yourself

Courtesy of Bianca Odiete

Zebra Loves Shopping - Kurt Geiger

Zebra loves Kurt Geiger.

This is the mecca for shoe fashionistas all around the world. With a huge collection of brands in their portfolio, they have something to suit every need.

• Kurt Geiger – showcasing the high end couture line of shoes often gracing fashion magazines
• KG – The more youthful urban and more affordable line
• Carvela – The epitome of avant garde sexy yet wearable shoes. They only have a limited amount of shoes so you won’t find everyone and their house girl wearing your shoes. I discovered this the hard way as their Goldie shoes which I’d dreamt of for months sold out in my size before their sale! I learnt my lesson with my blue Adelaides – they have a decidedly Alexander McQueen-esque flair to them the square front, super high heels and sexy form.
• Other designer brands – Kurt Geiger also stock a range of other designer and high quality label shoes and bags such as Gina, Marc Jacobs, D&G, FCUK, Solea, Chloe, Chie Mihara, Ugg, Stuart Weitzman and many others.

Zebra Tip: - Wait for their sales as most shoes are discounted between 50% - 75%. Become intimate with their website (www.kurtgeiger.com) as they have a wider range of goods and are cheaper than the stores. You also get free postage when you spend over £100. Sign up to their mailing list for access to special shopping events (champagne and other cocktails, discounts on all goods, plus special good bags) and news of their ongoing promotions.

Courtesy of Lara Olafisoye