This Malawi gentle and soft-spoken young man was the “calm in the storm” of Downville. His quiet demeanor around the madness made me have a soft spot for him. He is hotter and shorter in real life; well I thought he was taller…
Here’s how the conversation went, with me shamelessly smitten…
*sigh* Segs: What is your full name and what does Nafe mean?
Nafe: (
smiles) Alinafe Phillip - Alinafe means God is with us.
Segs: (
heart beating faster, shamelessly smiling) In which language?
Nafe: Oh, Chichewa… a basic language back home.
Segs: Why did you go on the show? What appealed to you about the big brother show?
Nafe: well, I went on the show cause my cousin asked me to, and I thought “
why not?” (
smiles)
Segs: That’s the only reason?
Nafe: yah, I was like this could be a great opportunity and it started off with Wati wanting to go, and I warmed up to the idea as well.
Segs: Did you watch previous shows?
Nafe: Not like full length, just the highlights
Segs: What shocked you during the first week?
Nafe: During the first week… was the level of insanity of those people (
giggles)… it was fun but you know it was crazy, to some extent. The first we got to chill all together, there was so much alcohol, things that were going around and I was like “cool, this is like a crazy house party”. Well, gradually I got used to it.
Segs: What don’t we know about you – something you hid from the viewers?
Nafe: So far, I haven’t heard anything from the viewers but I think that they think that I am cool cat, you know. So I am cool with that. The person they saw in the house is the person I am in real life.
Segs: What did you reveal about yourself that you vowed to keep secret before going into the house?
Nafe: mmmmm… I would say… that…. I used…. to be… a player. (smiles) yeah, I revealed that. I spoke to people and briefly said things.. but all you saw was me. There was nothing really… to reveal… stuck in the closet or under the sheets that would surprise people.
Segs: Who did you have a crush on, if at all?
Nafe: I won’t comment on that… (
laughs)
Segs: No… No… (
laughs)
Nafe: Ok, the thing is one of them reminded me of my ex, and one of them reminded me of my recent gal , so (
shrugs) … you know, I can’t really speak much of that … I don’t want to know, you know… complicate things
Segs: Your huge houses, or pics about your huge houses…
Nafe: (
laughs) it’s just one house.. (
laughs) It is quiet big, but then it is big, it is not really for us, it’s not even my house, it is Wati p’s parents house (
laughs) my aunt’ and uncle’ house.
Segs: The Esperanca and Seydou exit, what is your take on that?
Nafe: well, about that, I found the story like half-way so did not know the real reasons or the story behind it. Looking at it from Seydou’s point, it was not fair on him, coming with someone and expecting them to be your partner and they change their minds. That was not cool, I would have also been heart-broken. Esperanca had her own story as well, which I never really got to hear, but apparently she had some major issues back home.I really don’t know. I don’t know.
Segs: Do you think they connected and it was selfish of him not to understand her reasons for wanting to go?
Nafe: that’s true. But if you go into the big brother house, you have to give everything. You have to expect to toughen it up the whole way, but if you have to cut short, that is bad for your partner. You have to be sure before you go into the house.
Segs: Do you think there is anything the housemates could have done to help them connect?
Nafe: I would say everyone did try, everybody tried to talk them, to stay and talk to each other and all that…
Segs: What did you learn about yourself?
Nafe: well, I learnt that in situations that require like a leader or someone to take charge and come forth and say something, I usually wait for someone to step forward and say something, I will oppose or go with them. So that’s one thing I learnt about myself…
Segs: What are you looking forward to?
Nafe: I would like to meet people that supported me and see what kind of fanbase I created. I would like to see who supports me and holler at them…
Segs: Who are you certain you will keep in touch with?
Nafe: almost everybody that was there, like ever since the guys from SA and Namibia left, I will definitely keep in touch with them. The rest I will try to holler at them as well.
Segs: Who were you going to nominate if you had stayed?
Nafe: I really don’t know. Because that I left there are people that I created bonds with, got to know, chatted with, and got comfortable. The people in Upville, I would like to know them and I don’t think I would have been able to nominate them on the spot. No offence, I would nominate people that I really don’t know.
Segs: What were you doing before the show?
Nafe: I was helping out my mom as an assistant administrator.
Segs: Where to from here? What are future plans?
Nafe: my future plans are still..basically.. in entertainment.. I would like to try out either acting or music, anything that still puts me in front of the camera. I love the spotlight (
smiles)
Segs: Are you a professional dancer?
Nafe (
smiles) no, not at all. that’s just me basically in the club (
smiles)
Segs: (heart beating faster, smiles back) you got moves, I think you must pursue a dancing career, choreography…
Nafe: Really? (
smiles and giggles)
Segs: ya, I think so… (
smiles sweetly)
Nafe: (
smiling)cool, cool (
giggles) no problem…
His dance moves made my Saturday party nights bearable, and I will miss seeing the” calm in the storm”.