I Opened a Restaurant

 

Hi guys. It's been a while since I made a blog post. I've been a little bit busy. 

I've talked about CasaKeza on here many times. It was started by my friend Maia back in 2016 and has been my local ever since. I've had many a lovely (and inebriated) night there. Even slept in the garden a couple of times. 

It survived COVID (just) and soldiered on bravely, but with Maia out of the country and the rising cost of utilities and repairs, it went into a bit of a decline. Maia asked if I would help her sell off the assets, and that's what I was planning to do. But CasaKeza always had a bit of a strange pull. It has a beautiful garden and a lovely vibe. It seemed worth giving it one more go.

So, on 1 April I took over the assets and reregistered the business. We had to choose a new name for tax purposes - which was a whole fiasco. I've created a playlist of everything involved, you can watch that if you're interested. We were going to keep the CasaKeza name, but it all got a bit complicated, so we've rebranded as The Cauldron. 

I'm sure I'll make many more posts about it in the future. For now I'm just trying to get things up and running again. It's been hella challenging, but also a lot of fun. Creative in ways I never imagined, and frustrating in ways I suspected but was not fully prepared for (paperwork in Rwanda is on a whole other level). I am sure there are many adventures to come.

Hookland Funeral Biscuits

 

Yesterday, I uploaded a story about funeral biscuits for World Storytelling Day. Back when I was originally writing it, my mum went above and beyond with research and actually made a batch! Traditional Hookland funeral biscuits! Apparently they tasted a bit gritty.

Skulls and Hourglasses | World Storytelling Day

 

In honour of World Storytelling Day, I have narrated my Hookland story The Black Biscuit Baker (or Skulls and Hourglasses). If you enjoy, do check out my Hookland novel Creeper's Cottage. An unsettling tale of strange happenings. Hookland is the creation of David Southwell. It's a mythical county in England where folklore lives and breathes. 'Ghost soil,' as he calls it. You can also find me talking about the inspiration for the novel here.

Moto Africa Life

 

Hi everyone. Most of you know that I drive a motorbike in Rwanda. I have a friend, Asha, who does the same in Cameroon. It's not common to see female bikers in Africa so there's a bit of camaraderie. She just released this video and it's such a good one. You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll restore your faith in humanity. Please show her some love with likes and subs. 

Valentine's Day Booktag

Happy Valentine's Day. Some books to do with love, romance, and romantic disaster!

Oath, Boast, Toast 2026

Welcome to my annual New Year's tradition, the Oath, Boast and Toast. This is where I promise to do something in the year to come, boast about something I have done in the year that passed, and toast someone or something important. Let me know your OB&T below.

Christmas in Kigali 2025

 

Christmas Day in Kigali, Rwanda.