Evening walk

After almost 2 months of no walking, I have finally started my evening walks. Today, we convinced Kavita to join me after school. We told Kavita there was no point in going home as Haresh was off to a meeting so she should come along. 

I first had to stop at Abi Jaoudi Supermarket to get her a snack (a biscuit) and then we set off. It was a very enjoyable walk and everyone was glad to see Kavita. 

Can you believe it that they are going to be showing Padmavaat?! 

Inauguration Day 🇱🇷

So, I didn't get invited to the Inauguration and nor did I make any concerted efforts to find a way to attend this most important day. Never mind, we watched it live on watchkwese.com. In fact, we have Internet on our TV so we could comfortably watch it sitting on our sofa. One could also watch it live on KMTV.

Afterwards, we drove towards the Stadium to see how far we could get in the anticipated traffic. We got as far as the CDC Headquarters. There was a jubilant crowd and, I decided to enjoy the atmosphere.

The CDC Party Headquarter grounds were full of people, decorated with streamers, and the from the stage, soft drinks were being thrown to a crowd.

Everyone was smiling at me (folks must have thought I was a journalist - again). I made a video. You can see it here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FmkPzRNOA.

The excitement and joy in that crowd was contagious of course. Are the people happy that someone is finally going to stand for them? Do they really love their new leader? In that hot sun, they were there, singing, shouting, and, cheering on the cars coming back from the Stadium.

And there I was taking photos and making videos. I didn't feel uncomfortable or stared at. Everyone was only too happy to pose and smile for me.

Liberian women experience sexual violence and, live in a society that is dominated by men. Still, it is striking to see that women are in the so-called 'public spaces' and, can dance and cheer alongside men in crowds. This is not common in Pakistan.

1 day until Inauguration 🇱🇷

We passed by the Executive Mansion this afternoon on the way to Libassa Ecolodge and spotted a big Liberia flag draped over the Executive Mansion. The Inauguration of George Weah as Liberia's 24th President is tomorrow!

We stopped at the CDC Headquarters for a few moments.  Memorabilia marking the victory of George Weah and Jewel Taylor were for sale. There were T-shirts, caps, calendars, and pins. I bought a few souvenirs. They cost a couple hundred LD.

Folks asked me to take their photos, thinking I am a journalist but I said I was just a resident in Monrovia. The first person told me he was very happy with George Weah's victory and that Liberia would have reconciliation finally. The next person I met also asked me to take his photograph. He looked so happy and said "I am champion. My party is now the ruling party!"

What a moment of celebration, sense of achievement, pride, hope and respect and awe it is for partisans of a political party. For a moment at the time of elections, it is the public which has the power and they elect leaders and endow them with it! 

Now that inauguration is finally upon us and, we will witness the historic and peaceful transfer of power, I felt a little nostalgic for Sirleaf's era. After all, I've spent my formidable years here, all under her Presidency. For good or bad, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has defined Liberia's postwar era and, brought this oldest African republic much fame and goodwill. For a moment, one almost feels blue and starts to miss her already. Who will we critique now - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf hailed and anointed by the "international community"? To top it, it's really unfortunate that after all said and done, she has been ousted by her own party.

Alas, Bollywood joins Hollywood in the shameless support of Israel.

Benjamin Netanyahu is posing for a selfie with Amitabh Bachan and other Bollywood figures. He challenges his fans to beat the statistics on a Ellen Degeneres selfie. The selfie stick is held up by Amitabh Bachan, one of the giants of Bollywood, a figure who well into his middle and greying age, was the arguably the reigning lord of the industry. 

Hardly 10 years ago, no one would have understood what a selfie, selfie stick or likes/views were. The celebrities and politicians have also joined the social media/tech bandwagon and, now we have to suffer their propaganda in our Newsfeeds. 

But of course, it's entertaining, enlightening and infuriating! We play along with the personal media self-propagating that is a mixture of reality and pretend. We guess who is really sincere or not. 

We all take selfies and, many of us are aware how narcissistic and superficial they are. Still we do it! And, I guess celebrities and politicians have to do them even more. 

So, imagine the nausea you feel when you see your idol holding up the camera selfie stick to strike a pose for a selfie with the leader of apartheid Israel, a face that we literally vomit over when he comes on TV to spew lies, insults, threats and Israeli propaganda. Imagine the nausea you feel when celebrities and politicians are being narcissistic and superficial! Amitabh Bachan fought against corrupt politicians and businessmen, cruel and vicious criminals and poverty on screen, winning the hearts of millions. That's how I remember him. And the other face is the American-sounding-American-English-accented vile leader of Israel, a criminal apartheid state which has illegally occupied Palestine. While Israeli settlers continue to grab what's left of Palestinian lands, while Israeli states imprisons Palestinian children, leaders like Netanyahu pontificates about how his country is the only democracy in the region and, how Iran must be destroyed. God knows who loves Netanyahu and likes his face. Apparently, Obama couldn't stand him and yet he had to, as President of the United States. 

I am nauseated by this selfie moment! So much that I am blinded to who ever else is in this mural.

A few days ago, I also saw that a few Bollywood stars were in Tel Aviv to promote a film! Alas, Bollywood joins Hollywood in the shameless support of Israel. 

Netanyahu was also strangely spotted last year in Monrovia, by the way, at an ECOWAS meeting. The king of Morocco refused to attend the summit (notwithstanding how North Africans sometimes can't decide if they are situated in Africa or not). I couldn't understand what he was doing at a regional cooperation in West Africa. Wooing this part of the world? PR Stunt? He followed it up with a pledge for aid and trade. Earlier this year, though, we heard that Israel is kicking out immigrants from Africa. 

What an irony that Amitabh Bachan who we grew up idolising as a hero; who made iconic films that centred around injustice is now throwing a red carpet to Israel's head of state, a vile-mouthed opportunist and racist! History will not judge kindly.  #Bollywood #ShalomBollywood

Golden Globes' Bubble Feminism

There was something a little over the top about the so-called smug feminist speeches at the Golden Globes. Just because extremely wealthy entertainers wore black dresses and brought activists as their dates, they would have us believing that somehow indeed a tectonic shift has taken place. Sure, as far as the industry is concerned, that one of the biggest names has been taken down by women who came forth to disclose his sexual assaults, abuse, threats, and intimidation is indeed a big moment. But, the industry still has a long way to go in terms of levelling the playing field for actors and actresses of colour; equal pay (yes, which was talked about at the ceremony); and, making films which set the historical record straight. 

Dunkirk was honoured and will continue to be honoured even though it's another 'f-ing' World War 2 movie (SICK AND TIRED OF WORLD WAR 2 and this typical narrative that goes with this F-ING WAR) and it was another whitewashed film. That Gary Oldman (nice, Denzel gets passed over once again) was waxing lyrical about the racist pig that was Winston Churchil as he received the Best Actor award for playing Winston Churchill goes to show that films are still made which glorify extremely flawed historical figures placed on the highest pedestal, historical figures who are merely imperialists, colonialists, and racists.

Any word of solidarity with Palestinians? Of course, not. How could Hollywood ever dare to pontificate against Israeli injustice during one of its biggest nights? George Clooney would only repeat 'Je Suis Charlie' like a trained monkey because its a fashionable refrain to repeat it. No, Israel is off limits as a hot topic to rally around. After all, the biggest feminist film of 2017 featured no one else but an ex-Israeli soldier. 

Of course, it's admirable that more and more women are in the driving seat as producers and directors! It's great that women are celebrating this year past when so many women broke the silence and came forward to talk about criminal male actors and producers and directors. It coincided so well with the politics of 2017 and, how much liberal, polite America is suffering under its 45th Supreme Leader. 

Does this hail a great a leap forward for feminism? Hardly. 

Oprah's speech was indeed magnificent! Can anyone talk so well as her? Can anyone else captivate an audience like her. No, she's not a typical actress (and actors are really trained monkeys who until they don't have a script to deliver, reveal their ordinary, ignorant selves) but a woman of experience and wisdom. It was a thundering speech! That she pointedly mentioned Recy Taylor in this fervent 'Time is up' frenzy, was poignant and powerful. But still, it was a generous speech and not as scathing as it could have been. Some level of protocol has to be maintained after all. 

All in all, a great awards ceremony but let's keep the perspective. 

Disclaimer: I am still crazy about movies.