Life: Osama and Wills and Kate

Who would have imagined that this Bank Holiday weekend would be punctuated by such contrasting events? I was unashamedly moved to tears by the Royal wedding on Friday. The dress was perfection and the obvious affection between the couple was heartwarming to witness. I understood that feeling of jubilation and British-ness that the crowds that lined the street felt. Now on the last day of this long weekend we’re greeted by the news that Osama Bin Laden, number one on the most wanted list, has been found and killed. Full details are still to be given but with President Obama confirming the news, the vivid memories of 9/11 come to mind. As I type there are celebratations happening outside the White House and where the twin towers once stood.

I could not have fathomed then that it would take 10 years to find the world’s number one terrorist. Thousands of deaths, deployments, battles, security alerts, negotiations and intelligence manuevers later this day has arrived leaving mixed feelings. Questions like – what would it been like if he had been captured and tried in a court of law? – are the ones that I ponder. And has President Obama just inadvertently won the upcoming election??

So in the space of four days the world finds itself glued to its TV screens and internet for two starkly different events. A marriage and death. Both unforgettable moments in history but come tomorrow the reality for most of us is that nothing has really changed. That is the real circle of life eh?

Life/Music: Eddie Murphy the singer

I had a converstaion with a friend last year where she swore that she never knew that Eddie Murphy had sang a song with Michael Jackson. I had to inform her that he had even had an album (Party all the time)and another video to boot.

Eddie took his music seriously. I remember him giving interviews and the videos getting multiple plays on the music channel The Box.  Armed with all this information she still did not believe me. Well in dedication to her incredulity here is that unforgettable video. The incomparable “What’s Up With You.”

Film/TV/Life : Golden Globes 2011

From the press alone it seems that the highlights from the show were Ricky Gervais’s jokes (I think thw Scientology one was the funniest -

“Referring to the film I Love You Phillip Morris, Gervais said it was about “two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay – so the complete opposite of some famous Scientologists, then.”

“My lawyers helped me with the wording of that joke,” he added as the audience gasped.”)

… and the fact that The King’s Speech did not win all seven of its nominations. Apart from that Natalie Portman, Colin Firth and Christian Bale are arguably on their way to the Oscars ceremony next month.

The surprises for me were:

1. How well the Social Network did. Really, best picture? Their campaign really is paying off.

2. Glee’s Chris Colfer winning best supporting role in a TV series. Very happy for him but still wasn’t expecting it.

3. Katey Seagal’s best actress win. My brothers are constantly raving about Sons Of Anarchy. Yes it’s time for me to jump on the bandwagon!

4. Not really a surprise but still a big YAY for Boardwalk Empire and Steve Buscemi’s wins.

You can view the full list of winners here

Now fashion wise…can I be honest? I was completely underwhelmed. It was a blah night for dresses. Though I am huge fan of the colour, the emerald green theme just was not beautiful. I struggled to find a best dress but eventually settled on these two:

Kyra Sedgwick

Sophia Vegara in Vera Wang

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Amber Riley getting a special mention. I think she looked hot!

Worst Dressed? Well there were many to choose from but this dress made me gag immediately. It just seemed to trivial and lazy for a big award night:

Halle Berry

And Yes Helena Bonham Carter looked a mess but she is eccentric and never fails to reflect this in her clothing. So why waste a post on that?

And finally Best Dressed Male. I always admire the man who comes in anything other that a black tuxedo. So last night’s winner was:

Robert Downey Jr

Some are arguing he should replace Gervais next year as host. Thunbs up from me as I find  RDJ is equally as funny as he is charming

Golden Globe Nominations

Let the awards season begin! All roads lead to the Oscars and these nominations give a nice idea of what to expect on Oscar night. Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel and Blair Underwood read out the list of nominees, some expected, others a surprise, this morning.

I expected to see the movies Inception, Blue Valentine, Black Swan and The Kings Speech – they have all been receiving great reviews and I have seen for myself how amazing Inception is. In the television section The Good Wife, Modern Family, Glee, Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire are also fighting for the globe.

Unexpected were the nods for The Tourist, Burlesque, The Social Network and Red. The Tourist did badly in the box office this weekend and had equally bad reviews but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association felt that Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp deserved to be recognised for their acting. Cynics will argue that the HFPA are ensuring that their red carpet will be dazzling next year.  With Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry and Jon Hamm it will be!

It would have been great to see Cougar Town recognised for it comedic brilliance and despite my love for Glee its second season really has not touched the excellence of season one, yet. And despite being in its final season Friday Night Lights still has not received the recognition its deserves. But this is Hollywood. Nothing is ever fair in that town

The names that made me smile were Emma Stone for Best Actress in Easy A (a funny lovely modern teenage flick), Idris Elba for BBC’s Luther (Yay!) and Jennifer Lawrence Best Actress for Winter’s Bone ( a haunting film set in the chilling Ozark mountains in Arkansas). These two young ladies are amazing actresses whose names you will become familiar with in the future.

So I am looking forward to the fashion, the glitz, the speeches and the controversies on January 16th. You can see the full list of nominee here. And below are some of the films/TV shows  nominated and I strongly recommend you check out (because I plan to!):

Winter’s Bone

The King’s Speech

Black Swan

Blue Valentine

Walking Dead (Warning: Gruesome/Graphic) – Note the two British actors in the trailer Andrew Lincoln & Lennie James

Covert Affairs

Blogging when I should not be…

…but isn’t that the best time? Who knows what will come out of my mouth (via my hand) while my hormones are in disarray. So here’s a list of the random things going through my mind today:

• Leighton Meester’s shoes (see pics attached)
• Men who talk to Goats
• Nurofen
• Ledisi singing ‘The Man I love’.
• Internships
• Teeline shorthand
• Babies
• The guy I sat next to at church on Sabbath. He seemed sad and I wish I had plucked up the courage to speak to him.
• Costco
• Crazy voicemails left by psychos
• Jason and Sam in General Hospital
• Tithing
• I don’t feel like studying today!
• My empty bank account
• I haven’t been to the cinema in yonks!
• Why oh why did I look? I know I should not have now that image is burned into my brain.
• Hmmm chocolate.
• What should I wear?
• Legends of the Fall
• Crematorium article
• Now magazine
• Flights to Malaga are how much??
• John Mayer’s ‘Dreaming with a broken heart.’ Ever had a dream like that?
• Cat in a hot tin roof starts December 1st
• Vege Lasagne
• Pain!
• I love how my hair looks.
• The post office and a drop off done in 15 minutes. I love you 2.0
• Random quotes from ‘Dancehall Queen’.
• I can go an entire day without looking at my phones. Hmmm maybe its time for a blackberry. At least there are other things I can use it for.
• Nobody cooks like my Mummy.
• The Wire 100 Greatest Quotes…oh You tube you have acquired a new addict.
• Maxwell. Who didn’t go see him last week?
• Two more months to go.
• Is Roy dead on Corrie?
• I need to read The Silent Man. I feel like I know John Wells personally now.

Seriously I can go on and on and on. My brain never shuts off. Can’t wait to read this back in a few days!

Street Cleaners and I – the future?

Today on my walk to college the pattern continued.

He saw me walking down the hill. I saw him from the corner of my eye and took a deep sigh. These things are predictable now.

“Hello!”

Yes he was talking to me.

I kept me eyes straight ahead humming along to Maxwell.

“Oiii you!”

Seriously. His voice was echoing in the empty street. He was busy sweeping up the autumn leaves into his wheelie bin.

I upped the pace.

Street cleaners like me.

It seems that I have a type. In this case I am not referring to the men I like but instead the men who like me.

I don’t walk into a room and get male heads snapping in chorus. Never have. But I can guarantee if he is off centre and socially unstable that young man would be the one trying to catch my eye.

I became aware of my appeal to these types many years ago. Mad people like to talk to me. They stare at me as I walk by. They insist on forming conversation. Insanity finds me attractive.

Laugh if you wish. Accuse me of exaggeration. I accept that you are not in my shoes so simply have no access to the file of experiences I have had.

There is an infamous story given to single women in the church. You may have heard it. The single woman who prayed for a husband and the the one armed man (some versions he has one leg, a missing eye…you get the picture) who kept trying to talk to her. She prayed and begged the lord to not make him her husband. Conclusion of the story, she marries the one arm/leg/eye man. He was the one.

That story is not funny to me. But it plays on my mind. Should I give the street cleaners/unstable suitors a chance?

I am not overwhelmed with offers so should I not accept the ones I get? A friend once told me that I am the kind of woman men do not approach because they see that I am serious person, that they can not play games with me. Compliment? I am round and dark and can look quite serious. The reason sane brothers don’t approach me?

On the other hand they may see something kind in me, approachable. I pray it’s that and not something unstable underneath it all.

So the eternal thinker, yes me, is pondering her appeal and re-evaluating who I am attracted to. Maybe time to add a few more types to my already long list.

Sometimes you have really have no choice but to laugh at it all.

The Balancing game.

This week has been an emotional roller coaster which I find difficult to articulate. My curse has always been the fact that I am emotional. I find it difficult to separate my feelings in all situations. Even now that I am a student again finding a way to approach the workload in a organised detached manner is not easy. I know I need to push away the giddiness I feel about the end result and concentrate in the steep learning curve I have to embark on. I need to not feel so frustrated or euphoric or nervous and just deal with what I need to do and how I need to do it. I think in a few weeks I will have the mechanics perfected. But when it comes to people it is so much harder. I still see people in my rose coloured lenses and expect the best even when my head warns me that that is not the case.

So it is time to utilise my brain matter much more and put away emotions for a while. It is the only way I am going to get anywhere in the end.

Course – Week one summary – More revision, more exercise, managing the few hours in my day productively.

Week one songs – ‘Silent Tears’ by Jazmine Sullivan and ‘Mr Bojanlges’ by Sammy Davis Jr

Week one TV – Entourage Season 6 & Jason and Sam scenes from General Hospital.

Future Shorthand Master, that’s me!

While researching this course I stumbled upon a very informative forum created by past students. It gave you the ins and outs of what to expect. It was funny and insightful as well as giving you the facts. But there was one theme that was constant throughout – The Shorthand course would be a killer. They did not repeat this in jest, warning the reader each time that this would be the ultimate test.

Well today’s induction repeated this over and over and over again.

“Spend at least one hour a day on it.”

“Never miss a class or be late!”

“By the fourth week you will know if can pass this class or not.”

“In today’s job market only 100 words a minute will get you a job!”

Ummm the pressure?

So I am ready for battle. They sure made it sound like a war!

Old Blogs Revisited 2: 15.47

I wrote this one afternoon at work. At 15:47pm to be exact. I sometimes imagine what the next chapter to this would be…

I fell into you.

Stumbled on those damn five inch heels and felt myself crashing towards the floor but you got in the way and cushioned what would have been an embarrassing fall. Not that grabbing onto your nice leather jacket was not shame enough.

“Sorry! Sorry!”I repeated it too many times after that but I wanted to change that ‘what the f…’ expression on your face.

“Its alright love. Are you OK?”

You grabbed my forearm and elbow and managed to hold me up though gravity wanted me on the ground.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

I straightened up as quickly as I could but felt the tremble in my calves as I balanced myself on those beautiful red stilettos. The ones I had no damn place buying but they looked too good to ignore.

“Maybe its the shoes?”

I jerked my eyes up to yours and unintentionally showed my annoyance. I knew I couldn’t walk in them! Why the hell were you reminding me? You put your hands up in mock protection, a smirk forming on your cheek.

“I’m just saying. Don’t hit me now.”

“Thanks. I apologise for almost knocking you down. I just need to walk a little slower.”

Your eyes creased and a smile crept into them. I knew a another smart remark was going to cross your lips.

Nice introduction eh?

Hot chocolate for me and a cappuccino for you and we were still talking a few hours later. Why?

“So how long are you here?”

Maybe it was the English accent but that stop mattering two hours ago.I told you my name and my destination and too many other details that a stranger should never know but my lips couldn’t stop moving. You laughed, sipped your coffee and listened like you wanted to be there.

“So this is your last big thing before…”

“Yes I guess it is.”

“And then?”

The words bounced around my head for longer than they should.

“I move on?”

A question for a question. I couldn’t give you more than that. ‘And then’ was the one statement that I had been avoiding. I knew it would make me rational and I was enjoying this madness of mine too much.You tapped your finger against the paper cup and thought about what you should say. I wanted to laugh because I knew you would not find the words. How could you when they did not exist?

“I have to go.”

I reached out for my purse and heard you sigh so looked up at you instead.

“Let me take you. I know where …”

“Black cabs are frequent here. One will take me there quicker. Thank you for the offer though.”

I pulled myself up and tucked my purse under my arm. Saw my reflection in the glass behind and it made me smile. I looked good, ridiculous heels and all.

“It was nice meeting you.”

I stretched out my hand and watched you hesitate before you took it.

“It was…..”

“Yes it was…” but you pulled me towards you before I could finish. Your breath was warm against my ear and you spoke before surprise or any other emotion could creep into my skin.

“Call me in ten minutes.”

Just when we had managed to make it last you had to be the one to break the spell. I looked at you and shook my head, watched that smile crease your eyes again.

“You never play fair Ben….”

Phobia-manic

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while knows that I loathe spiders. Detest is not even the strongest word I can use to describe how much I can not stand them. In my house and among my close friends it is running joke. Big ole me has trouble seeing them and killing them. They have approached me in my room and even in 2.o. The last assault occurred at 3am one Sunday morning. I was up watching a movie on the laptop and out of the corner of my eye a beast crawled out from the side of my bed, disgustingly close to where I lay my head, and proceeded to scamper across my wall. I jumped up and out of my bed in Usain Bolt time and stood by the door having a Western style stand off.

All my options ran through my head. The easiest, getting my Dad or brothers to kill it was impossible as they were all fast asleep. The insect repellent was finished. Splattering any of my good shoes and my wall with its blood was never going to happen. Final decision. A cushion. Took one and aimed it at the bastard. I squealed when it landed on my mattress looking dead. Spent two minutes running in a neat circle in the corridor trying to figure out what to do next. Came back in, and it had disappeared. Damn.

This episode lead to two nights on the sofa in the living room. I was laughed at daily. I mean literally my family members came in each night, asked me why I was there then laugh. I brought some repellent, sprayed every corner of my bedroom, almost emptying the can, then closed the door leaving my mini fumigation to take effect. Moved back in, apprehensively, on the third day.

It’s a phobia people. Just like I am terrified of heights (vertigo), get panicked in small places (claustrophobia), and feel nauseous and my pores raise when I see certain scratches, patterns and bumps; I am scared to death of spiders (arachnophobia). I am not alone in this. My friend called last week in tears because a huge beast walked across her living room and she was paralysed with fear. There was no one at home to kill it so she sat there until her Mum came back home. Some may laugh but her terror was real and I tried to talk her through it.

Even when I lived in Trinidad and I was capable of killing roaches and swatting jack spaniards and crushing mosquitoes with my bare hand, spiders were my enemies. At home they are hairier and triple in size and ugly as hell. I remember spending an evening stuck in my bedroom crying because there was one on my door and none of my brothers were brave enough to kill it for me.

It is hard. And I really sincerely wish I was big and brave and did not spend the first ten minutes in any new place scanning the walls and floors for them. Wish I could be hypnotised like they do on Maury (sorry but even I have to admit that some of those episodes are funny). I wish I could kill them without wanting to vomit. I also pray my future husband will get rid of them for me with ridicule or question. All I have to do is squeal and he will come to my rescue (superman fantasy? No wonder I am single!). It is an irrational fear that I can not seem to rid myself of. An old fashion phobia of grand proportions. Any suggestions on how to end it? Because as much as you may find it funny it is no box of chocolates from my end. Sigh.