Browsing ktravula – a travelogue! blog archives for April, 2010.
Will be offering a 50% off from every money transfer transaction from the United States to every part of the world between now and tomorrow April 7th. Details here.
Whoever needs to take advantage of it should do so, particularly Nigerians in the US hoping to send money to the Red Cross in Jos for the relief efforts of the survivors of the January and March crises.
Hopefully, this will be my final Western Union blog post!
This is the final part of the movie Saworoide which we saw in class today. It’s been long since I saw this movie, and this last part just reminded me of the genius of the award-winning director Tunde Kelani in weaving a very traditional story of culture and responsibility into current political situations in Nigeria at the time. When it came out, it was one of the first breaths of fresh air of political art in the newly democratized Nigeria. Even for its time, it was a bold political statement. No wonder it is still a favourite till today.
I particularly liked the epilogue, featuring the ending song, and the way the actor Chief Faleti sang it: Ọrọ lẹyẹ ngbọ o, ẹyẹ kò déde bà lórùlé o... Priceless ending!
According to Wikipedia the “egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.”
One more thing I discovered today is that unlike in Nigeria, Easter Monday is not a public holiday. It’s a good thing that I’ve discovered this early enough to send an email to tell my students that contrary to an earlier one wishing them a good work-free Monday, we will be meeting in class. Sigh. The life of an American professor. I can’t complain though. 😀
Tyler Perry’s latest movie is titled Why Did I Get Married Too, a sequel to the first brilliant drama Why Did I Get Married. But while the first part was brilliant, logical and very comical and stimulating, this sequel fails like the very many other sequels that seek to make money off a first brilliant idea. And while I don’t hate all sequels (Meet the Fockers lives up to expectation of a good sequel after Meet the Parents, as did Simba’s Pride and Lion King 1 1/2). But if I was asked to summarize this Tyler Perry movie in one word, it would be: “heck!”.
Don’t get me wrong, it was good as far as cinematography, characterization and acting are concerned. It even has some great laugh-out-loud scenes. But for plot, I give it a big thumbs down. And I am a Tyler Perry fan. I have seen and loved some of his earlier works like Madea’s Family Reunion and The Diary of a Mad Black Woman. I have even seen the stage performance of this Why Did I Get Married. But now after spending my money and two hours of my life in a cinema, I am left with wondering: Why? You don’t always have to make a sequel. But when you do, why not at least give the audience some credit for intelligence and the ability to discern when they’re being taken for a ride.
I know that many people, especially women will crucify me for taking this position, but luckily I am not alone. If you choose to pay your money to see it, note that the story will neither inspire nor even entertain you in any intelligent way. You will get sentimentality, but not brilliance. You will probably wish that you had gone to see Desperate Housewives instead. At least, that one is honest about its intention to sometimes take your intelligence for granted with exaggerated coincidences and plot twists. And Desperate Housewives does have some brilliant lines as well as plots. In this Tyler Perry movie, all the four couples in the first part have gotten back together for another annual retreat. What happens afterwards – I insist – is a matter for tv series and soaps, and not for the movies. As thoroughly superb as her performance in this disappointing flick is, I’m sorry to say that Janet Jackson won’t be deserving an Oscar yet. And it won’t be her fault. It will be the poor script that the director has given her to play. Maybe Mr. Perry should consider turning the “movie” into a tv series, and we can hope for him to win his Emmys someday. Until then, let me go mourn the loss of two precious hours that I will never ever get back. 🙁
A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.
The Pastor said to him, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!”
My friend replied, “I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.”
Pastor questioned, “How come I don’t see you except at Christmas and Easter?”
He whispered back, “I’m in the secret service.
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Happy Easter everyone.