Version 35.0

"There's no better time spent than time with oneself." - Ifunanya "KiKi" Mmachukwu Uzowulu, 2026 

PS: For those of you who know my English name, count that knowledge as an honour 😏

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I turned 35 yesterday. 5 years to 40 and I still don't feel the pressure to reach the "milestones" a woman my age is "expected" to have attained..

But do I want to be wealthy? Fxvk yeah!

Do I want to get married? Well, it'll be pretty shweet sharing my life with someone who marvels at my awesomeness everyday. 😌 So, yes. Affirmative.

Do I want kids? Errrr..I'm on the fence about that. I mean, I do love kids and they're naturally drawn to me, but I feel like my niblings (that means nieces and nephews, btw) are "enough" children for me, if you get my drift. Anyway, that's a whole other story for another day. 

So where was I? Ah yes, my birthday.

How did I spend it, you ask? 

Solo with a capital S-O-L-O. From 8am till 9:30pm.

And did I have a great time on my ones? Oh, ABSOLUTELY!

Y'all want details of my itinerary and EEEEVERYTHING I got up to that day? 

Hehe, of course, you do. So here goes. 

 

KIKI'S 35TH BIRTHDAY ITINERARY 

Date: Tuesday, 4th August, 2026

⚠️ : LONG READ AHEAD

8am - 9am

Padel @ Magic Padel 🏓

Bruh, there are padel courts everywhere on the island in Lagos. And I mean EVERYwhere. 

I have been leaning towards learning tennis, so I figured giving padel a try won't be a bad idea. But then, I also wanted to learn it someplace that's a little bit "exclusive". 

I did my research and I stumbled on Magic Padel located in Federal Palace Hotel, a spot I had never heard anyone talk about before, so I didn't hesitate to book a 1-on-1 one-hour coaching session.

My Coach, Benjamin, did an absolute great job teaching me the basics and I'll definitely be returning pretty soon for my next coaching session.

Workout done - CHECK!

Endorphins kicked in - CHECK!

9:15am - 9:20am

Cold Plunge (also) @ Magic Padel 🥶

This was yet another reason why I opted for Magic Padel, cause I had no idea there was a cold plunge spot in Lagos. So this was a pleasant surprise.

Recovery - CHECK!

Trying out new "unusual" things + KiKi = 5 & 6

10:30am - 12pm

Chiropractic session @ Hope Chiropractic Clinic 💆🏽‍♀️

For someone who goes to the gym 3/4 times a week, I'd been yearning to experience this for yearssss.

First, I got my x-ray done and the doctor recommended a few daily lifestyle changes, like sleeping on my back rather than my belly, to help fix my posture and align my spine. 

Next was the chiropractic session, a major highlight of my day. 

Ohhh, the joy that overwhelmed my soul with every crack was too good to put in words. I shed teeny tears of joy 🥹

A snippet of my beloved family and friends' reactions.

Typical Nigerians 😂

12:30pm to 1:30pm

Brunch @ Panu 🥙

You know there 🎶Ain't no way. Ain't NO fxvkin' way 🎶 I'm going to treat myself and food won't be involved. 

I discovered Panu a couple of months ago - a new lifestyle cafe that serves sandwiches in "panu" variations using panuozzo, a traditional Italian sandwich bread that's made of pizza dough and not regular bread dough. 

I wanted the Classic Benedict panuozzo variation from their breakfast menu, but I arrived 28 minutes after their breakfast chef had closed for the day, so I settled for "That Hot Chick", a buttermilk crispy chicken panuozzo sandwich with Japanese kewpie mayo.

My order came in record time and I devoured it cause I was super hungry. And also, cause it tasted so, so good! It came with a side of sweet potato crisps and a dip. Eating the sandwich and the crisps in the dip together was a food combo I never knew my taste buds needed. 🤤

Had it with a cold glass of Dubai Chocolate Latte topped with pistachio cream, which went down preeeetty nicely.

Shout out to Joshua, my server, for giving me such a great customer service experience. He deserved a tip (and a raise too).

Fun fact: Panu is owned by two twin sisters called Taiwo and Kehinde Smith. They own 4 other restaurants in Lagos - Cafeteria, Maple, The Smiths and Forno, and I've been to all of them. Every single dish I had in every restaurant was a hit. 

Last year, I celebrated my birthday with dinner at The Smiths, so it was a no-brainer to have this year's birthday brunch at their newest spot. And once again, a hittttt. 👌🏽

2:00pm - 4:00pm

Tattoo @ Tattoos by Ena 🫟

Annual ritual.

I got a colored clematis tattoo on my thigh - my 20th and biggest one yet, much to the joy of my tattoo artist, Ena.

I was running late for my solo movie date, so he wasn't able to complete it. Nevertheless, it already looks exquisite. 

Ena is the Ink god indeed.

I'll be back to the studio in two weeks to finish it up, and he'll also throw in two free mini tats as my birthday gift. #22 😁 

Incase you're wondering what the deal is with the clematis, here's your answer:

If this doesn't represent my intellectual personality, than I don't know what does. Coupled with the fact that I have an affinity for purple, it was the perfect tattoo choice.   

Can't wait to see the finished work of the Ink god's magnificent hands! 

4:30pm - 7:30pm

Odyssey @ Filmhouse IMAX 🎬

My sister and nephew put me on to Epic: The Musical, a nine-part concept album created, written, and produced by Jorge Rivera-Herrans. 

I watched the first part, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Fast forward to a few weeks after, and I hear that a movie adaptation was going to be released with a stellar cast - the excitement! I had also seen the 1997 miniseries back when I was in secondary school and it was a great watch, so I knew this was going to be even better. 

I remember checking the release date earlier in the year and how stoked I was that it was scheduled for July. I made a mental note that there was absolutely no other movie I was going to watch on my birthday. 

Went ahead to pre-book my ticket online cause I didn't want to hear stories that touch 

The Infiltration of Troy scene was heavy with palpable suspense. The score had me at the edge of my seat. 

The Circe scene? Mad intense, with a message way deeper than the script's surface. 

And may I say, Robert Pattinson absolutely owns villain roles. Watching him play Antinous constantly reminded me of his role as The Dauphin in The King. I love it when actors have range (cue Meryl Streep, my absolute fave).

Anyhu, no more spoilers. 

In summary, if you haven't seen it yet and you love epic movies, then you're in for a treat.

Honorary Food Mentions:

Chia Pudding 🌾

I'd always been curious about what chia pudding tastes like. Luckily for me, Panu serves a range of chia pudding flavours in grab and go bowls. I ordered the mango & coconut flavour cause I love mango. Coconut, not so much, but I bet they'd pair nicely together.

I left it to chill overnight and finally had it a few minutes ago. It borderline tasted like a refreshing, fruit-sweetened oatmeal. The mango gave it that zing, while the coconut added the perfect crunch. Not bad for a first experience.

Haagen Dasz 🍨

My elder brother, asked me what treat I wanted for my birthday, and I screamed, "ICE CWEAAAAM!" 😁

Perks of being the last born. Tee-hee! 🤭

Apple Turnover 🥧

One of the cons of being a foodie is that I always find myself craving certain foods that are not easy to come by in Lagos, apple pie being one of such foods. 

A few weeks ago, I believe that the Lord led me to find Bodega Emporium on Instagram, cause for the life of me, I never even knew they existed. I had a look at their menu, and there it was - apple turnover, the flaky pastry cousin of apple pie. 

You're damn right, I ordered it! 

My sweet tooth cravings are coming soon (no thanks to the Red Mist), so I shall keep it till then and pair it with some Haagen Dazs caramel, lotus biscuit and cream ice cream. Ouuu I can't wait! 😋

Pizza 🍕

Every year, my mum (aka my flatmate) cooks a special meal for my birthday, but I told her not to bother this year, seeing as I was going to be out the entire day. 

She loves pizza, so I ordered the Hot Jambalaya pizza from Pizza Garden located in Ebony Life Place, and picked it up on my way back home. 

It had shredded beef, chicken, sautéed prawns, onions, garlic, and mushrooms on it. 

Ate my share and washed it down with a cold bottle of RC apple drink right before I passed out - thanks to Lil' Missy 💗 #iykyk

And here's to the end of a blissful day. 

Until next year - toodles! 👋🏽