She’s a darling to the blogging fraternity in Uganda and she’ll make you break a bank just to have a meal after reading her awesome blogs on food, meet Karen Kana the sensational lifestyle blogger and two time nominee in the Uganda Social media Awards category of Best Blog thanks to her Chocolaty prints blog. The slender and smiley blogger caught up with our writer Enywaru Pius to go down the memory lane of her campus life and more. Here’s the interview
In a nutshell, who’s the brain behind Chocolatyprints?
My name is Karen Kana. I run a lifestyle blog chocolatyprints where I document my day-to-day life and as well as creatively express my love for travel, fashion, beauty, and life in general. Uganda is stunningly beautiful, so with my love for photography, I decided to share that with the rest of the world.
Which university did you go to?
I went to Uganda Christian University, where I did Mass Communication.
What hall/hostel did you reside in while at campus, how was your experience there.
I was in a hostel called Tupendane, which was a really cool place to stay. I made friends here who I still talk to till today. It was a short walking distance to campus which I really loved. We were however required to spend the first semester in a hall, which I can’t remember the name but was really nice though felt like school. Our food was really good though which helped me save on food!
Did you ever run broke while at campus, if yes, how did you handle such times?
Of course I did! I used to bake cupcakes for sale, that’s how I survived brokeness.
Did you ever crush on a lecturer? (Grits Teeth)
(With an outburst of laughter)Ha ha! No, on some guys on campus maybe but not any lecturer…
How did you handle advances from horny campusers?
Just being firm with them. Usually when you’re serious they won’t bother you too much.
What was your love-life like at campus
I was a very serious and focused girl at campus, so I went on a few dates. My love life however came second to my studies. (After prolonged silence and critically looking at this question, she dodges it at the end of it all)
On chopping lectures and getting retakes, where do you fall? The bookworm or the campus hustler.
I was definitely a bookworm and enjoyed getting work done on time and attending group discussions!
Did you ever work while at Campus? if yes, how did you juggle the two (Work and Campus)
I baked over the weekends so I could make extra money, but other than that I did internships which were a requirement. My studies weren’t in any way affected.
What happened to your first boyfriend at campus?
We grew up and both moved on…
Profession or Passion, what takes the mark for you?
Passion! When you’re passionate about whatever you do, you’ll work on it professionally.
When did you start writing and what triggered your passion for writing.
I’ve been writing for the longest time I can remember. I started writing on my blog at the beginning of 2014. This was triggered by the need for more positive exposure on the vast beauty we have in Uganda. At the start, I was mostly writing about the cute little places I went to eat. Then this grew to fashion and travel. Uganda has some extremely talented designers and cool brands. There is still a lot. I can write about. Travel has always been a dream of mine, so writing about my adventures in hidden gems has been my goal this year. I would like to uncover more places take my readers on a journey with me.
If there was a rumor you were dating a celebrity, who would it rather be?
Ha ha! Local or international? I’ve had thing for Chris Evans for as long as I can remember. That’s one of the reasons I’ll be watching Captain America!
What’s the real world outside/after campus that campusers never get to know awaits them?
The real world out there requires you to be a go-getter. As pro-active as possible. Don’t settle for just ordinary. You need to keep aiming higher and never give up. Don’t feel sweet because you now have a degree, to the small tasks. You need to climb the ladder by doing as much as possible.
Brief me about Chocolaty Prints and your vision for blogging in Uganda in the next five years.
Wow, (Clears throat) in the next five years I hope to continue offering quality content that adds value to people. That is posts that are travel related, fashion and lifestyle. I use photography, so I am working on creating pictures that speak to people, as well as have my personal touch to them. I have come a long way from back then when I used to use my phone to take pictures. I am working also to improve the way I share posts, to make them more engaging with my readers. My vision is also to demystify the thought that travel is either too expensive or unsafe. I would like to share more beautiful places on the blog not just from Uganda, but grow to Africa, then the rest of the world! I’d like to be the Ugandan girl wearing our designers’ pieces in all the amazing places I visit! A girl can only dream…
Advice a chap or two that wants to be like you when they grow up.
(takes a glass of water and lets it roll down her throat and starts)
- Have a mentor who has been in the field that you are aiming to grow your career in. A mentor will have grown through mistakes and can help advise you in the right direction
- Do what you love and don’t compromise on something for either money or whatever, to me doing what you truly love is what makes the difference and helps us live a fulfilling life
- Don’t take people for granted. The friends and people you meet at campus will help you grow and possibly point you in the direction of numerous possibilities. My theory in life is to treat everyone equally nicely, because rich or poor you just never know.
- Keep reading even after campus. Make reading one of your hobbies and culture, because that’s the only way you will learn. I read so many articles, either online or through print. Keep looking out for these in the area you are interested in! If you love social media and public relations like I do, I’m always sharing links or book titles on some of my posts on the blog.
●We all make mistakes in life. Campus is the one place you are allowed to fail and pick yourself up! Basically, it was the most fun time of my life, I think our 20’s are really fun, but we also have a chance to learn from our mistakes.
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