SELECTIVE SERVICE: a poor restaurant experience.

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

We dine out looking for the ambiance, better cooking and of-course good service. The occasional escape from the homemade meals to (if you choose right) the fancy and expensive buffet at our favourite restaurants, cafés and kafundas (Hot Joints). It could be a lunch date, dinner or just a weekend out to sit at that cozy corner and read a book or write something creative.

The meal price tag on the menu comes with expectations. If I’m going to pay a steep price for a meal, I expect Good Food + Ambiance and most importantly SERVICE. The cheaper the meals the more lax I am about everything. I’m hungry and I just want to eat and move on.

THE PROBLEM

a.The Order or Leave policy

In Uganda, most uptown restaurant or cafe owners spend millions to create a cozy and comfortable environment for the guests. From cozy furniture to trendy stylistic interior decor meant to convince customers that the food is good here (often not). This is a strategy for recruiting new clients and hopefully retaining them, but on one condition, order for at least a drink or Leave.

This is common practice and a sort of ‘unsaid rule’ that most locals like myself are aware of. You can’t enter a restaurant and sit, work on your laptop or read a book for more than 30 minutes without having ordered something. The minimum requirement is a bottle of water or soda. Otherwise, one of the waiter/tress will approach you and with all intentions try to get you to order. Here are some of those polite reminders proffered to ‘idle’ customers.

  • As a standard, the server will bring to you a menu the moment you sit down. In other countries customers wait to be seated but it’s different here, you can walk in and find a seat of your liking. No fuss needed. So this is when the subtle but determined signals begin. If the waiter has brought a menu to you and you don’t order immediately, they will know that you are not a ‘usual’ frequent customer; those know what they eat. So the waiter will stand by as you peruse through the cardboard menu (printed and designed with internet food pictures), critically scanning your face or at other times nonchalant and bored (already tired of their job and want to yell at you to order so they can move on). If you seem lost for choice, they will make a few suggestions, usually Matooke and chicken or all food and meat. The top billers first. Not beans or vegetables soups. In other-words, make up your mind or let us help you do it.
  • If you are genuinely not ready and need more time to read through the menu, then naturally you will ask the waiter to give you some more time, ‘I will call for you when I’m ready’. The server will smile and walk away with one last profiling scan of you. Weighing your probable class and intention. If in more than 10 minutes, you have not ordered, then they will return, having made up their mind that you are either broke or one of those idle customers looking to hang out and take selfies then leave. (The judging can get real and tough) Next step is to offer you a drink as you read the menu. ‘Can I bring you water or Soda?’ they will ask. This is I think a boot camp training trick for Ugandan servers. A safe-guard alternative to have you order something incase you indeed just looking to sit without eating.
  • When the carrot fails, it’s sticks out! ‘My boss says you have to order or leave’ A waitress has said this to me once I and my best friend were taking a bit of time to order since what she wanted was not available that day. The servers will either get aggressive with you or make up scenarios of how their superiors will make them pay if a customer they are waiting on sits for longer than 30 minutes without ordering something off the menu. I am not sure if this is indeed true or not but there is surely smoke under that pot.

b. We serve based on race and status

I came to learn from my non-Ugandan acquaintances that they had been to the same restaurants and Cafés, sat for hours on their laptops and books without ordering a single bloody water or soda. Got done and left without spending a coin. This too is another unspoken custom understood by restaurant servers in Uganda. However, there are places that have no selective service.

Majority of Ugandans are polite and not quick to make a scene when there is poor service and I guess this why it is difficult for servers to approach non-Ugandans on the same issue or the fact that guests are given special treatment. But should it be like that? I don’t think so.

CONCLUSION

Restaurant owners defend the observance of the ‘Order or leave’ unwritten rule with the need for security against hooligans and business reasons. A very understandable explaining if this custom is applied to all customers, but it’s not. Otherwise it groups itself under the segregational mentality and prejudice against people of different backgrounds. Public spaces have to be welcoming to anyone, regardless of race, tribe or appearance. To restaurants that run this covert ugly behaviour, customers will quietly leave your business. Make the decent choice of welcoming every customer and if these are the rules for your establishment, then no one should be an exception.

ABOUT ME:

I’m a God fearing Ugandan writer, film producer and artist working in the Ugandan media industry for over the last ten years now and am thankful for the experience, the people I’ve met and the modest living I’ve earned along the way. Thank you for reading this blog. You’re a unicorn. So continue being awesome and kindly share with a friend, leave a comment and subscribe to keep in the know of what I write weekly every Friday! See you next time. Stay Kind.

Find me @edrismatu on Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, and Linkedin

Eid Mubarak- عيد مبارك : AMAZING BENEFITS OF RAMADHAN!

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

Under the Islamic calendar, it’s the year 1444 and the month of Ramadhan is ending. A month of fasting, prayer, reflection, community and seeking for forgiveness from the Almighty for Moslems around the world. Regarded a Holy month, Ramadhan lasts from 29 to 30 days and it signifies the first revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Fasting from dawn to sunset during this time is obligatory for most moslem adults and is the fourth Pillar of Islam. Now that the month has ended, as a moslem myself, I can only pray that Allah accepts my fasting and deeds as we celebrate this special month on this year’s Eid al-Adha (عيد الضحية ). Here are some notable benefits to have in mind for the next Ramadhan. إنشاء الله

AMAZING BENEFITS OF RAMADHAN!

a. Getting closer to Allah, the Almighty.

Throughout the year, many moslems struggle with their Iman due to different tests of the world. It can be the search for money, love, poverty or any hardship that diverts you from doing right and instead pursue that which Allah has ordered us to stay away from. We sin repeatedly until it’s a way of life or we often repent and walk about with heavy hearts of guilt. The more we transgress, the bigger the gap and distance we move away from the almighty and without his mercy we are lost.

Ramadhan presents an opportunity to reflect on our misdeeds and hopefully rectify our ways. Shyatan has been caged and the temptation and whisper to sin only comes from deep down our souls depending on how much it has been corrupted by prior sin, but we are protected from his persuasion. Therefore if you have missed the opportunity to change and return to good, don’t loose hope, start your journey to rediscover yourself and be under those that Allah will bless, for he is the most merciful and the most gracious. Come next Ramadhan, you will get closer to him, إنشاء الله.

b. Togetherness.

In today’s fast paced world, most families rarely see each other, working different jobs and returning in the wee hours, barely remembering the faces of your loved ones. We work to live but often so, we live to work. Entering into the dusk years of your life and realising that you might have missed out on the moments that matter the most.

During the Holy month of Ramadhan, we get a chance to converge home for Iftar, suhur or taraweh prayers at the mosque. By design, we meet more often and spend more time with family. It is a month that encourages more love, peace and the sensibility of community. Togetherness. After all, we live to share moments with each other.

c. Sadaq. (Philanthropy acts)

During COVID-19, the need for community support and Sadaq (charity) was globally accentuated as economies stood still and more than half of the world population needed help to survive. Despite wars, floods, earthquakes and drought, there are continued reasons to share what you have with the more needy. To offer a helping hand and support communities that have none.

During the month of Ramdhan, moslems are encouraged to increase on their Sadaq (charitable acts) in society and beyond in addition to the obligatory Zakat al Fitr. When we prostrate and ask from Allah, let’s not forget to give away some of what he has given. The smallest of charitable acts can change someone’s entire life. I pray that the almighty warms our hearts towards sadaq.

d. Multiplied Reward.

The bottom line of our life on earth is to worship Allah and hope we enter paradise. To find our deeds rewarded by the almighty and enough for us to be permitted into Jannah. During the Holy month of Ramadhan, your good deeds are multiplied by Allah. So do as much as you can to help a neighbour, family, friend and the needy. It doesn’t have to be something grand, do what you can afford to do and I pray that Allah accepts all of our good deeds.

e. The night of Lailatul Qadr.

Al-Qadr is the declaration that Allah is omniscient and omnipotent. The decider of your future, past and present. During the last ten days of of the Holy month, on one of the odd numbered days, you get a chance to ask Allah to bless you, forgive you and lead you onto a fulfilling right path.

CONCLUSION

I implore you to read further on the Holy month of Ramadhan and share the knowledge that Allah allows you to learn. It’s never too late to seek for forgiveness or change your path onto a righteous one. I pray that Allah guides us onto a path of those he is pleased with and not those that go astray.

ABOUT ME:

I’m a God fearing Ugandan writer, film producer and artist working in the Ugandan media industry for over the last ten years now and am thankful for the experience, the people I’ve met and the modest living I’ve earned along the way. Thank you for reading this blog. You’re a unicorn. So continue being awesome and kindly share with a friend, leave a comment to continue the conversation and subscribe to keep in the know of what I write weekly every Friday! See you next time.

Find me @edrismatu on Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, and Linkedin

DID WE NEED A Harry Potter REBOOT?

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

Over 120 films released in the last five years from Hollywood have been reboots and 200 announced/ released sequels. Not to mention the TV series reboot titles that have either blossomed or have been cancelled after a single season and faded away. Come April 2023 and WarnerBrosDiscovery announces that they have ordered for a 10-year long HarryPotter TV series to retell the books more ‘exhaustively’. A so called faithful reboot of the beloved HarryPotter books. Now, I’m a fan of the Wizarding World and I didn’t like this news one bit. Elsewhere, Disney announced a quiet unnecessary live-action MOANA, that was received with mixed expectations but Hollywood seems determined to dusting off old IPs and tapes for a more ‘fresh’ take. The question is, do we need these REBOOTS? Let’s get into it.

WHY THE REBOOTS?

a. Safe Gambles

The fundamental purpose of any business is to make as much profit as possible and Hollywood studios are always on the search for the next box-office hit. The now ‘billion movie club’ is the epitome of a ‘film success’ and Game of Thrones’ viewer numbers , the standard for TV shows. Over the years, trends of what film genre to release have evolved from the western-cowboy flicks, Historical Epics, romantic comedies to Superheroes movies and now it seems the dust has settled on REBOOTS – SPINOFFS + SEQUELS and the occasional GAME or BOOK adaptations. Whatever brings in the money is what studio executives will green light. A safe Gamble in the dynamic and cutthroat industry where executives have board members looking over their shoulder and waiting for dividends. The pressure is high to avoid a box office flop or order for a tv show that no one watches.

The HarryPotter films grossed close to 8Billion dollars on a 1.2billion dollar budget, and that is as close as a guaranteed profit for the newly merged WarnerBrosDiscovery to a brand new risky idea. It’s a beloved franchise and even though am not over the moon over the Harry potter reboot idea, I will surely check out that series when it’s released. It the safe gamble for big money strategy that has birthed this self-cannibalising era.

‘I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread‘ Bilbo Baggins tells Gandalf in the Lord of Rings.

This is the kind of statement that intellectually defines what Hollywood is going through extending stories into bloated projects with reboots, sequels and spin-offs. some are welcome but most are simply unnecessary.

b. Social Media

Gone are the good old quiet days when film producers didn’t have to deal with every single persons’ opinion publicly. Today, ticket buyers and anyone who hasn’t watched a single frame of a movie has an opinion and they will aggressively air it out. That opinion garners support then boils into a #hashtag then starts trending and eventually studio executives are pressured into questionable decisions.

Too many cooks spoil the meal. Creative decisions should not be surrendered to the mass group. Reason: not everyone knows what they are talking about, and predictably they are the same people who will turn around and criticise the idea if it does not work out. Unfortunately, some studios have fallen prey to this assertive group prior to production. I say, put out the movie and then listen to social media opinions but rely on fellow professionals to craft and mould a good product during pre-production.

Films are made for the people but not all people have the skill and artistic temperament of creating blockbuster ideas.

c. No new good ideas?

Some have argued that a brilliant idea comes once in a hundred years, but I’m skeptical that there are no new film stories to tell. The highest grossing film of all time, AVATAR was a risky new ‘story idea’ and so are the many other blockbusters that have emerged from unknown IPs and have turned into gold. So, is it a question of studios shying away from taking risk or are there really no new ideas? Are we stuck with recycling old tales and expanding what we already have? Maybe or maybe not.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

a. Expand don’t reboot

If there are indeed no new ideas and studios will not take risk on non-IP stories, then instead of rebooting old films, expand on the story. I don’t mind a sequel or a spin-off. It gives me a chance to explore the world set-up in my favourite movie. This actually works much better, i.e The JohnWick movies spinning off into Ballerina, Fantastic Beasts for the HarryPotter films, House of the Dragon for Game of the thrones. (You get the idea) Let’s venture into the past or future whilst maintaining the respect and status of the original material. Reboots are always going to face comparison to the original, and if you are not much, much, much better, then you are doomed! I would have loved to hear a new Wizarding TV show based in Durmstrang, Illvermorny or any of the other wizard schools but a reboot? Really?

b. A 30 and more year rule

It takes at least 30 years for major technological advancement and probably a renewed interest in an old story that will look fresh to a brand new generation. So can Hollywood have a rule that no movie can be rebooted until at-least after 30 or more years? This way, you are actually giving the audience something afresh. So please skedaddle away from these needless safe bets. Please.

CONCLUSION

I strongly believe that a HarryPotter reboot was unnecessary and I wish they ‘WarnerBrosDiscovery’ would have just expanded on the Wizarding World. There are other more schools to venture into and more characters yet unseen. This was a missed opportunity and I’m not sure if it will be the success executives hope it will be. Until then…

ABOUT ME:

I have been working in the Ugandan media industry for over ten years now and am thankful for the experience, the people I’ve met and the modest living I’ve earned along the way. Thank you for reading this blog. You’re a unicorn. So continue being awesome and kindly share with a friend, leave a comment to continue the conversation and let’s get talking. See you next time.

Find me @edrismatu on Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, and Linkedin

Dungeons and Dragons: a fun spectacle that stumbles on plot

Posted on by Edris Matu Segawa

‘Who needs Heroes when you have Thieves?’ – is a clever tagline to the movie reboot of the Dungeons and Dragons trilogy (previously released twenty three years ago); Dungeons and Dragons: Honour among thieves. In a movie industry saturated with superheroes and IP driven films, it’s apparent that D&D is Paramount studios’ counter-attack at box office glory whilst launching anew the D&D franchise in the post COVID-19 pandemic era. Question is, will D&D achieve the intended purpose or drown to the bottom of the box office flops? Actors Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis and Hugh Grant feature in a clip placed ahead of the movie screenings thanking the cinema audience for making the effort of coming to the the cinema and watch D&D ‘the way movies are meant to be seen’ rather than stream it from the comfort of their homes. So, is Dungeons and Dragons: Honour among thieves worth the trip to the multiplex? Let’s get into it.

THE GOOD

a. Show not tell

So many intended blockbusters do fault at using expositional monologues to tell us about the past. How characters got to where they are in life or what major plot catalyst occurred way back then to propel the story forward. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein don’t fall prey to this avoidable trap but utilised one of the most significant rules of cinema – Show Don’t Tell!..and it works really well. From the first 5 minutes of the movie, when Edgin and Holga (Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez) face the council and eventually escape, it’s one fantastic visual flash back to another with no expense spared. (One could say the whole movie was a flashback through the eyes of Forge (Hugh Grant) as he too faces the council to plea for his freedom at the end of the movie) Refreshingly there’s no crucial piece of the story that is not shown to leave you wondering what that looked like or hhhmmm, I wish they showed us that instead of this, no sir! We see everything we need to see in this adventure flick and more, which leads me to the next good thing..

b. The Cinematic aesthetic

Production design ✅ CGI ✅ Cinematography ✅ Editing ✅

150 million dollar budget WELL SPENT.

D&D feels grand, epic and a true adventure movie in scale and scope. From incredible action sequences to dramatic quiet scenes flourished with cinematic enviroments, this movie feels and looks good. Many blockbuster movies leave you wondering where the money was spent but not here, you get the sense that the crew had something to prove, this was their baby and indeed they delivered. Maybe some awards along the way? We shall wait and see. So if you were wondering if this a movie for the big screen, yes it is. Wait to be dazzled with overhead moving shots, clever screensaver worthy closeups and lord of rings-like landscape drone frames to quick editing and a fairly good score. James Cameron might need 10 years to evolve cinema, the guys on D&D didn’t disappoint him one bit.

c. The Actor’s Ensemble

Team movies are not an easy thing to pull off, they can either crumble due to behind the scenes egos, imbalanced level of talent and screen time or they can click and make silver screen magic as recent memory serves with the Avengers movies serving a peak for the marvel franchise. The Dungeons and dragons cast leans on each other’s strengths for a bold, funny and acting balanced tale. Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez lead the team with charm and experience as the planner and muscle of the thieving group respectively while younger actors Justice smith, Sophia Lillis and Chloe Coleman lift their own weight while the villain duo of Hugh Grant and Daisy Head do play their parts as required. These are not Oscar performances but this is a popcorn adventure and a thrilling ride worth a watch.

THE NOT SO GOOD

d. The Plot or what it could have been

Putting the witty dialogue and all the other excellent stuff aside, D&D’s plot lacks something vital and that is – High Stakes. The sort of pressure point that drives Heroes into sacrifice and having to save the world. The emotional beats that move you as an audience to care and root for these characters. As an audience, we need to feel that our characters have to do whatever it takes to fight evil, save the girl or achieve whatever goal they set out on. It has to be important, personal and convincing, that if they fail, the consequences are directly dire to them or those they love. Sadly, D&D got bloated with too many stories to check, that writers Michael Gilio and the Jonathan directors failed to put us at the edge of our seats rather delivered a story that sacrificed stakes for casual playfulness and spectacle. Evidently producing a fun movie that has a weaker main plot.

Chris Pine’s character ‘Edgin Darvis’ is a member of the Harpers (an order of peacekeepers) who turns to theft after the death of his wife. He then hesitantly raids a harper stronghold with his team including conman Forge and a Red Wizard, Sofina who is in search of a mystical horn, but Edgin is after the ‘Tablet of reawakening’ a magical relic he could use to resurrect his wife. The group is bursted by the Harpers and Edgin and Holga end up captured while the rest of the accomplices escape. After two years, Edgin and Holga creatively attain freedom from imprisonment and return to find that Forge has turned Kira against her father and Edgin sets off on a journey to repair his father-daughter relationship with Kira and maybe save her from Forge? Simple right?

d (1) Weak motivations

Naturally in such stories, we are accustomed to the protagonist of our story wanting something and the villain standing in their way of getting it. This old tradition of story telling is tested and proven to deliver results. So, who is our protagonist and who is our villain?

PROTAGONIST: Edgin Darvis

GOAL: To repair his relationship with daughter Kira by robbing the Tablet of reawakening from Forge and resurrect his wife?

VILLAIN: Forge stands in Edgin’s way by lying to Kira that Edgin left her for treasure.

The thing is, Kira is never really Forge’s prisoner or in danger at any given moment, she’s just a teenage girl mad at her Dad and confused about the truth on why Edgin was captured. Nevertheless, Forge’s motivation to lie to Kira and keep her away from Edgin is far-fetched and off character. Forge really doesn’t need to keep Kira, she serves him no purpose as a conman. There is no benefit in this endeavour apart from trying to give Edgin something to do. Edgin goes through so much to get back the tablet as his way to prove his innocence to Kira that indeed he was captured trying to resurrect her mother, but in the end Kira doesn’t need the tablet to forgive her father. The macguffin ends up not serving it’s purpose and falls flat even when it’s used to bring Holga back. The emotional beat intended feels cliche and not in a convincing way.

d (2) Disconnected plots

VILLAIN 2 : The Red Wizard

GOAL: To use the curse that destroyed the Thay and turn the people of Neverwinter into the undead army. (To what end? I’m not sure)

Now this is a villain with high stakes, but ultimately her plans have nothing or little to do with Edgin and his team. To the extent that when the theives take Forge’s boat away from him after rescuing Kira, it’s done for Edgin. He has everything he set out to get and the movie could as well have ended with them sailing off into the sunset. Oh wait, we forgot about the a Red wizard after world domination, let’s go back and have a third act action sequence. The disconnect is jarring and an Achilles’ heel to a rather well made movie.

At the end, D&D felt like two movies lumped together. One, about Edgin saving his daughter from Forge and another led by Xenk Yander (Regé-jean Page) with Doric saving Neverwinter from the Red wizard.

CONCLUSION

Dungeons and dragons : Honour among Thieves, is a fun ride with spectacle and dazzle, witty dialogue and a good looking ensemble cast but falls short on threading the story into a 1billion picture. The Jonathan Directors make a case for a franchise launch and your ticket but I will wait to see if this reboot has legs to green light a sequel. Until then..

ABOUT ME:

I have been working in the media industry for over ten years now and am thankful for the experience, the people I’ve met and the modest living I’ve earned along the way. Thank you for reading this blog. You’re a unicorn. So continue being awesome and kindly share with a friend, leave a comment to continue the conversation and let’s get talking. See you next time.

Find me @edrismatu on Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, and Linkedin