WORLD OF LATINA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL ACTRESSES

We've seen them, loved them and their story lines keep us at the edge of our seats and eyes GLUED to the T.V! From 1993 to present, our screens have been filled with telenovelas and far from getting bored (even though the new practice now is airing more than one instead of waiting for the previous one to at least end) we keep angling for more; not just because of the telenovela's main plot but because the leading women are just  so beautiful!

SILVIA NAVARO:  She charmed us from her very first scene in Cuando Seas Mia, then Catalina y Sebastian where she and her Cuando Seas Mia co-star Sergio Basanez played the title characters. She also starred with Sergio in La Heredera (The Heiress) and La Calle de las novias (Street of Brides) 

   LUCIA MENDEZ : who played Raquel Lombardo in  Tu O Nadie (No One But You), along with  Andres Garcia. Besides her acting, she's a singer and model. In 2008, she played Alicia  in  Amas de Casa Desesperadas;  the short lived Spanish version of Desperate Housewives. At 59 she's still a knockout! 

VERONICA CASTRO:
Best remembered as the unforgettable heroine Mariana in THE RICH ALSO CRY & Rose in Rosa Salvaje (Wild Rose)

At 61, she remains very active in the acting and music world. 

ADRIANA LOUVIER: 

who played Silvia in La Mujer De Lorenzo. She's also a T.V presenter and in 2012 played an antagonist in the telenovela Corona de Lagrimas (Crown of Tears)

SCARLET ORTIZ: The Venezuelan actress and model  played the title character in To Sobre Camilia (All About Camila) and several other telenovelas, including Rafaela in 2011. She's  married to Yul Burkle who played Alex  in La Mujer De Lorenzo and they are parents to a daughter. 

JACQUELINE BRACAMONTES: 

 starred with William Levy in Sortilegio(Love Spell); the fourth version of Tu O Nadie(No One But You) as Maria Jose Lombardo; making her the 'fourth Raquel'. She represented Mexico in the 2002 Miss Universe pageant and has a model career as well as acting. She's happily married.

ANGELICA RIVERA:  She starred in the 2007 telenovela (with Eduardo Yanez); Destilando Amor( Distilled Love)- which is the second remake of the 1994 Columbian telenovela Cafe, con aroma de Mujer(Coffee, With The Scent of A Woman), the first remake being Cuando Seas Mia. Nigerian fans would probably call her, 'the second Paloma' though in the telenovela her name was Gaviota, like in the original. She is the former sister-in-law of Veronica Castro (The Rich Also Cry) and no longer acting as she is currently the First Lady of Mexico- her husband being President Enrique Nieto.

JEANETTE RODRIGUEZ:  

This beautiful Venezuelan actress  played Gabrielle Suarez (Swanson)  in the 1986 telenovela La Dama De Rosa (The Lady of Rose), a young woman wrongly convicted for drug trafficking and her obsessive need for revenge against the man she believed betrayed her.  Now 52, Jeannette has hardly aged! 

LILIBETH MORILLO: The Venezuelan actress was introduced to our screens in 1997 via the 1997 telenovela, Maria Le Los Angeles (Mary of The Angels)-  where she played the title character who had to deal with an evil aunt, a tug of war between two suitors, a jealous half sister and an even more jealous rival. She has starred in other telenovelas to date.

GLORIA PIRES: 

Still a raving beauty at 50! 

Married and mother of three children,  the Brazilian actress  played Ruth & her conniving seductive twin Raquel in Mulheres de Areia (Sand Women but more known here as Secrets of The Sands) and still actively acting. 

MARIANA OCHOA: 

Singer and actress, her first telenovela was the angst filled La Hija del Jardinero( The Gardener's Daughter); its soundtrack sung by her. She played Luisa Fernanda, a young woman caught in lies and intrigue; her main story being falling in love with a handsome young doctor, not realizing until much later that her biological father is married to the doctor's mother; making Carlos Eduardo her stepbrother. 

She has acted in other telenovelas and released several albums. 

LUCELIA SANTOS:

The  now 56 year old  Brazilian actress, producer and director was introduced to us via her most memorable telenovela Escrava Isaura ( Isaura; The Slave Girl); a story set back in Brazilian slavery era, about a white skinned slave who is the object of lust and obsession of her master but refused to give in to his lustful advances (and threats!) 

She has many works to her credit; as an actress and director.

NATALIA STREIGNARD: 

The Venezuelan actress first appeared as Barbarita in La Mujer de Mi Vida; which she starred with her now ex-husband Mario Cimarro (who also played the resurrected and possessed farmer in El Cuerpo del Deseo- Second Chance). She has appeared in other telenovelas. 

PATRICIA MANTEROLA: 

is a fashion designer as well as an actress. That probably explains her eye catching wardrobe in Acapulco cuerpo y Alma( Acapulco Body & Soul ; the third version of Tu O Nadie(No One But You), making her the 'third Raquel'; the second version-ACAPULCO BAY- played by an American cast. 

WE'RE STILL WAITING... AND PRAYING #BringBackOurGirls

Today makes it a month since the Chibok abduction and the whole country's waiting and praying for this nightmare to end soon. The current report on the abducted Chibok school girls proves more than ever that their actions are more political and militant than religious.On Monday another video was released; this time of the poor terrified girls and the terrorists’ demand is for several Boko Haram members in custody in several states be released or they will be sold and claiming that 'God ordered them' to convert the  Christian girls among them to Islam.

What measures the Federal government will adopt  about seeing to their demands; we  don’t know- but whatever they are, they must not  endanger the girls. Those girls are the real victims here and back home are their worried, grieving parents. For how long is this going to go on before they are finally rescued- these are people's daughters  we're talking about here! It's just so sad and heartbreaking seeing the expressions of those poor girls in the photograph that I even wept as I read the newspapers. Of course they would be bewildered and frightened at the whole ordeal and no doubt wondering the same thing... "WHEN ARE WE GOING HOME???" 

This is more than religious prosecution, it's simply inhumanity staring us in the face and we desperately want this saga to end! The rallies and protests are still going on everywhere and more prayers for the rescue of the Chibok girls continue as we wait for the help we've been offered to come about.

Even after they are finally rescued, we Nigerians must also pray that worse things  than this won’t come about. We simply must keep praying! 

#BringBackOurGirls

T.V SERIES: IDEAS, IDEAS, IDEAS!

A particular classic book, story, movie, or even a cartoon creation spawns out a whole new creation; a successful T.V series and I mean live action, not animated. For example, from the 1960 psychological thriller Psycho came the

currently running series, Bates’ Motel (2013 to present). Thomas Harris’ books Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal & Hannibal Rising have movie adaptations and now a prequel series,

simply called Hannibal (2013 to present) starring Hugh Dancy as Will Graham, Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Lecter and Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford- Graham’s (and much much later Clarice Starling’s) superior.  There’s the series about fairy tale characters (Snow White, Prince Charming, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Rumplestilskin, Red Riding Hood, etc) who are all stuck in the modern real world thanks to a curse by the Regina the Evil Queen a.k.a Snow White’s stepmother; Once Upon A Time, now going into its fourth season. 

There was also the little remembered 1992 movie that later evolved to the supernatural series Buffy, The Vampire Slayer (1997- 2003) plus its spin-off Angel (1999-2004), a 1996 T.V movie which brought about the Australian series McLeod’s Daughters (2001-2009), Stephen King’s The Dead Zone (2002- 2009) based on his 1979 novel (it already has a 1983 movie adaptation), a 2001 Australian series about a very notable Oliver Twist character, Escape of the Artful Dodger, which picked up from where Oliver Twist left off and the one everyone’s currently raving about (based on

the DC comic character Green Arrow) Arrow which began in 2012. 

As a person whose had more than enough of her share of books, movies and series which turned out to be disappointments I’m really impressed at how the T.V world seems determined to keep its status by getting new ideas despite the debut and now popularity of web series. The ones I’ve seen so far is Venice: The Series, The Inn and Beacon Hill; all very good and well written. 

What kills soaps’ rating these days are bad story lines, unnecessary characters, drastic change of a character and bad pairings. I stopped watching Days of our Lives after the end of the Bo Brady and Carly Manning story line then moved on to One Life To Live but alas... it ended up cancelled! So I made do with telenovelas which- trust me-  are  lot more satisfying  than American  soaps and past and present T.V shows I was able to come across; Desperate Housewives (2004-2012), Criminal Minds (2005 to present), Sex & The City (1998-2004), Alias (2001-2006), Prison Break (2005- 2009) and  Once Upon a Time (2011- present).  

With more T.V series being introduced these days, examples being Homeland, 

  a Sex & The City prequel The Carrie Diaries and the upcoming prequel of Batman Gotham, there are so many ideas for even more T.V series- from old movies and books. 

One good idea for a T.V series  would be one based on  a movie I remember very well; the 1984 The Never Ending Story of the young warrior Atreyu and the boy who read the book itself, Bastian. The movie was adapted from Michael Ende's novel of the  same name and apparently deviated too far from the book so probably  The Never Ending Story T.V series could make up for that by following its original concept. I for one hated the part 3; it was more comic than adventurous. 

Another good idea for a T.V series would be from the Harry Potter books. Not about Harry himself ( we fans would rather let the adult Harry have a peaceful life) but a prequel about Voldemort's life as Tom Riddle, until his  evolution to the Dark Lord and the various people he encountered and destroyed along the way; the season's final episode would naturally be the night the curse meant for Harry rebounding on him! (People, why not???) 

If Superman, The Hulk, Wonder Woman, The Flash and now Batman  can have a T.V series each, why not a live action T.V series Dare-Devil? Back in 1989 there was the T.V movie The Trial of The Incredible Hulk which was meant to be a backdoor pilot for a Daredevil series since it featured Matt Murdock/Daredevil who acted as David Banner's defense lawyer after he is arrested for murder and they both go against the Kingpin. But the idea was scrapped and years later after several animated series came the 2003 film where Murdock/Daredevil was played by Ben Affleck. 

Or... 

How about a live action series about  Ghost Rider? And why not, Ghost Rider's dark, supernatural tones plus the fact that Ghost Rider is an anti-hero(es) would made it a great series with high ratings, depending on the writing. 

Another idea  I can think of is Stephen King's The Dark Tower books; the series of course would be about the central character,  Roland Deschain; the  mysterious Gunslinger and his quarry, The Man In Black. I've read three out of the eight books and I honestly feel it deserves to be adapted for T.V. 

Like I said earlier, a lot of possibilities! 

New Batman series... GOTHAM

It’s really amazing how a lot of comics have moved from movie adaptations to T.V now. There’s been God knows how many film adaptations of Superman; the most notable T.V adaptations being Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

(1993-1997) which was more on Clark & Lois’ professional and personal relationship (Superman a secondary character but still important in the series) and Smallville (2001- 2011), about Clark Kent’s life before formally assuming his identity of the Man of Steel. 
 Of course back in the day there was the 1978-1982 The Incredible Hulk starring the late Bill Bixby

 (before its later 1988,1989, 1990, 2003 & 2008 movie adaptations),

Wonder Woman (1975-1979) starring Lynda Carter (its movie adaptation yet to come) and The Flash (1990-1991) starring John Wesley Shipp; who by the way will play a role in the new Flash T.V series- not a revival- but a spin off of Arrow.

Wolverine’s the most popular of The X Men so I won’t be surprised if he’s given a T.V series any time soon. If so, it would probably be in serious competition with this upcoming one.

The Superman franchise got the T.V series Smallville; now Batman is to have one too, simply titled Gotham. Gotham’s focus- so I heard while researching a Batman animated movie I watched recently (Batman: Year One) - will be on James Gordon’s (to be played by Ben McKenzie) early days as a police officer before eventually becoming Commissioner.  His first case after joining Gotham police department would be to solve the senseless murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents- Thomas & Martha- and from then on battling Gotham city’s other criminals and villains and probably a few bad eggs in the police department itself; from what I saw in Batman: Year One. And of course the focus would also be on young Bruce Wayne (to be played by 13 year old David Marouz) and his life after his parents’ death (which he never exactly got over) and long before assuming his eventual alter-ego; befriended by Gordon and fiercely protected by his legal guardian, best friend and butler- Alfred Pennyworth who will be played by British actor Sean Pertwee (son of the late Jon Pertwee; best known as the third incarnation of Doctor Who). Thank God the entertainment industry has improved so much that it’s not going to be anything like that campy Batman series which starred Adam West! No offence to the actor or the producers, considering I still watch and enjoy past Bond films like The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Goldfinger, but really... watching that series on LTV years back was a real effort.  The boys and I really preferred reading the comics and don’t get us started on the theme song!

Of all superheroes, Superman remains my favourite but I’m really excited about Gotham; I think it’s because Bruce Wayne’s background story and all the Batman stories have always been gothic in tone which makes it all the more popular fascinating to watch or read and like Smallville, we’ll get to see the hero as a boy; except of course Clark’s life wasn't tragic like Bruce’s.

In Gotham, James will be partnered with Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). What I remember of that character is a big mouthed fatso with a fedora who irritated me very much and their superior will be Captain Sarah Essen (in the Batman comics she and James were partners, had an affair which ended his marriage to Barbara, later married James and then was murdered by the Joker, but of course that story continuity must have been rebooted by now) played by Zabryna Guevara, and it will feature villains Bruce will rumble with after he becomes the Dark Knight:  Harvey Dent(much later Two Face)- adult or child-I don’t know, Selina Kyle  (much later on Cat Woman), forensic scientist Edward Nygma (much later The Riddler) and Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin and to this day I prefer Danny Devito’s dark and deformed incarnation in 1992’s Batman Returns). I would very much like to see how The Penguin is going to be portrayed by Robin Lord Taylor because of all of the villains in the Batman stories, apparently The Penguin is the only one not insane or psychotic- I don’t remember reading any story about him being thrown into the Arkham Asylum until I watched the 2005 animated movie Batman vs. Dracula, where he and the Joker broke out of the place to find stolen money. The Joker is also going to be featured of course but I don’t know if he’ll be made Thomas and Martha’s killer or not. In the 1989 Batman movie adaptation Batman, it was revealed via flashback that he was the shooter but according to the Batman story arc in the comics, the killer was a mugger called Joe Chill. And to my surprise, Jada Pinkett Smith is going to play Fish Mooney; a villain I haven’t heard of before but with her superb acting skills will surely be a very interesting character.

I really hope Gotham will be a huge success.

YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!

No matter the huge amount of calories, trans fat and whatever; we are prone to indulging in food that makes us fat; mostly those savoury spicy dishes and  sweet, creamy and sugary deserts and savoury foods  which smells so good and looks so eye catching that we simply can't resist them! But if they are going to make us fat; especially when eaten often, why do we eat them at all?
Well, why not? Food is there to eat for one thing and these days, especially in a country like mine where everyday is a struggle to out food on the table, coping with different kinds of people all the time, one just has to kick back and give oneself a culinary treat once in a while. What makes such  food fall under " guilty pleasures"... besides the amount of calories we're stuffing into our mouths , they are also pricey stuff we can barely afford. But all the same  in spite of  those two flaws, we do indulge them all the same. After all, who can resist!

Mostly indulged here:

SUYA: meat seasoned with various spices, groundnuts and onion; made an sold by Hausa street vendors or in fancy clubs or restaurants.

CHINESE FOOD: It's not to everyone's taste but it's a lot more popular these days as they are now included in most parties' menus and with more chinese restaurants being established.

DONUTS:  Unavoidable even with the sugar!

ISI EWU: The traditional Igbo dish made of goat's head and seasoned with  native spices, pepper & thick sauce (and yes spicy), you'll find this heavily indulged by patrons of beer joints!

ICE CREAM: (especially Blue Bunny) Pricey but what one cannot do without!

MEAT PIES: Next to donuts, the most bought snack in most fast food joints; more than enough to fill your stomach if you missed breakfast or lunch.

PEPPERED CHICKEN: The best of these are found at any branch of Tasty Fried Chicken; pricey... but oh so worth it!

BLACK FOREST CAKE: Chocolaty, Creamy and irresistible even to the  dieters among us!

SHAWARMA : Really Really popular here;  so much so that meatpies have somehow taken a back seat .Beef, chicken, sausage and even vegetarian... it's a guilty pleasure gladly bought often.

PRINGLES :

Ah... not only a guilty pleasure, but a very addictive one! No matter the flavor; you tell yourself just a few and save the rest later but you can't! You eat more and more of these delicious potato crisps, even though they are loaded with calories, and immediately long for more!

"MY FAVORITE THINGS" SEVENTH YEAR

Comments by CommentNation.com

Yes... my humble blog is 7 today and I can't believe how much time has flown. It seemed only yesterday that I created this blog without a clue on what I'm going to work on; except vague ideas from my old scrap book. After a few discouraging moments, I got more visitors. I think it was when I posted Catalina y Sebastian recaps, followed by the Carbo( Bo & Carly posts) and then the Tu O Nadie (No One But You) snippets. My other blog, IN MY OWN WORDS is yet to be as good as this one and I hope it will be eventually. While I've not made any money from both; having them is rewarding all the same; it's a sort of portfolio to show off my writing skills and at the same time put myself out there and entertain people. I'm very grateful to those who not only visited but left their very kind comments and sharing some of my blog posts. Each comment showed that the blog was doing quite well and I hope more come in. Thank you all for visiting MY FAVORITE THINGS as it celebrates it's seventh year today and I pray for many more years making it better.

Below are some of the blog's best comments:

Bo and Carly are what defines true love ; NBC is ridiculously stupid for letting them go.They need to do whatever they can to bring them back!
- THE FIGHT TO SAVE BO AND CARLY 

I completely agree with you about Bo and Carly being my all time favorite couple on Days. I think what I liked about it most was that Carly was a strong independent woman and it made Bo have to step up to the plate more. I really like the added twist of the chemistry between Carly and Lawrence. Oh well, I don't think there are any actors that can fill the shoes of the original actors in these roles. It would have to be a complete reinvention and I don't think that's something I'd want to see. That being said, I'm hoping that they may possibly bring these two actors back at some point. Look at John and Marlena. They were written off and made a comeback years later. In soaps, anything is possible.
-  WHO COULD PLAY BO BRADY NEXT? 

I agree with your sentiments about Bo and Carly almost exactly. What a shame the writers wasted the talent and chemistry they had with Crystal & Peter as Bo & Carly. It was very much out of character for Bo not to help Carly out in some way when she was addicted to drugs. Bo was always there to help acquaintances, friends, and family when they needed help; especially those he loved. The one part I disagree with you about, however, is the idea of recasts. I don't believe recasts for either one or both of the characters is the way to go because no other actors could do justice to Bo & Carly's chemistry and their mature, beautiful, & passionate love. Having Bo recast once was already done, and it really was one of the reasons they broke up the first time. I'd rather cling to past memories than a recreated romance between two characters who really don't do justice to the iconic characters of Bo & Carly. To me, it has been and always will be Crystal & Peter for the roles or no one else.
-  CARBO 3.0- IS IT TOO MUCH TO WISH FOR?

WOW!!! Honey, what a fantastic job you did here on Tu o Nadie (No One But You.) I was catapulted back in time (honestly, reading these snippets made me feel like I was watching the actual scenes.) Thanks for giving me the opportunity to relive my childhood. Wonderful, Just Wonderful. More Grace to You!!!
- TU O NADIE FINAL EPISODE!!!!

BRAVO!!! Well said!!! Ken Corday can kiss my butt as far as I'm concerned. They made a stupid mistake letting go of Crystal Chappell and they will regret it when they loose the legion of fans who will be leaving the show as well once Carly exits
- OPEN LETTER TO MR. KEN CORDAY

Very well said and written Amina..ur views and opinions are the very ones all #CarBo have.The show doesnt care or listen to its fan so we are no longer needed and i refuse to be where im not wanted.The absolute horrible treatment of Crystal is just beyond cruel for all the fans she brought with her and the ones that came back she deserved much better...their rating were never better b4 her comin back-  OPEN LETTER TO MR. KEN CORDAY

Ahh! Thanks so much for this thorough summary! You are awesome!  LA USURPADORA: THE REST OF THE STORY

Amina Adams, thank you for sharing this wonderful collection! A friend saw it and said it's worth reading and looking at. So I'm here. She was right! Now I'm adding extras to my "to watch" list, thanks to you. A question: when you wrote about Robin Hood and lady Marian being second to Romeo and Juliet, did you mean the legendary couple or the one from Robin of Sherwood?
- HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY- MEMORABLE KISSES.

UMMM reality check NOBODY is owed ANYTHING!! It's a FUCKIN soap...just because Bope have been together for IONS does not mean they should remain together. THAT IS RIDICULOUS LOGIC! A good soap is story, story, and MORE STORY and that is what Bo and Carly offer! Peter and Crystal share AMAZNG chemistry that cannot be denied. As far as Carly killing her husband it was SESLF defense. ALL OF SALEM knew the kind of man Larry was. HOPE PLANNED and PLOTTED to kill Bo and NO PILL WILL EVER CONVINCE ME that it MADE HER DO IT! You have to have deep seated anger in order to follow through. SO YES Bope is DYSFUNCTIONAL!
- THE RUIN THAT IS CALLED '' DAYS OF OUR LIVES''

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE RICH ALSO CRY" SINCE I CAME TO AMERICA 16 YEARS AGO, UNTIL I JUST GOOGLE TODAY. IN THE 90S WE WILL RUSH HOME TO GO AND WATCH THIS MEXICAN OPERA. I REMEMBER A FRIEND THAT CAME FOR A WEDDING FROM ANOTHER STATE WHO RUSHED TO MY HOME IN NIGERIA WITH HIS WIFE TO WATCH AN EPISODE THAT WAS SHOWING THAT WEEK THAT IS HOW CRAZY PEOPLE WERE WITH THE RICH ALSO CRY. I WANT TO BUY THE WHOLE SERIES. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY SHOW LIKE IT
-  THE RICH ALSO CRY...a trip down memory lane

this telenovela is facinating and i realy love it. i enjoyed every moment of it episodes. i think it was just fantastic and i think everyone must be awarded for this good product. thank you
-  LA MUJER DE LORENZO FINAL EPISODE!!!

Thanks so very much for taking the time and effort to post these great episode recaps of Tu O Nadie. I'm from Australia and I have Tu O Nadie on dvd that another kind Tu O Nadie fan sent to me but there are no English Subtitles and I don't speak Spanish. I used to watch this series when it was our television station SBS during the early 1990s so I do know the story and loved every minute of it. It reminds me on a classic Mills and Boon plot. Ahhh I can just see sexy alpha Antonio and sensual gentle Raquel on the cover of one of these romance books. Ahh that mansion is to die for, sooo exotic and the music from this series is just beautiful too. I hope you keep posting episodes of Tu O Nadie for us all to enjoy. I copied them out and read them together with watching the series...so thanks once again.
-  MAX'S "PAWN"

I love this novela soooo much. I can't believe its been almost 10 years.I watched most of the novela on-line when it first aired in Mexico and then I watched it in the USA.I didn't like how they cut so much of the novela to air it in the us, but whatever. Then I bought the DVD and I hated it. If they put the entire novela I would buy it. I don't care if its 25 DVD'S i just want the entire novela.
 -CUANDO SEAS MIA'S FINAL EPISODE(CONTD.)

AMINA, I AM TOTALLY SURPRISED AT YOU. YOU TOOK YOUR DECISION WITHOUT EVEN CONSIDERING YOUR FANS WHO LOG IN DAILY TO READ UP WHAT YOU HAVE FOR THEM. IN THE WORLD OF WRITING, THE WRITER THOUGH FULL OF EMOTIONS DOES NOT ALLOW IT AFFECT HER THINKING AND DUTY TO WRITE. SO DEAR GIRL, CRY IF YOU MUST, BE DEPRESSED IF YOU MUST BUT PLS DON"T STOP POSTING. WE ARE COUNTING ON YOU.
-   A TOTAL DISASTER!!!

Hi Amina, this is to commend you for the good work you have started on this blog. It goes without saying that i am already a fan of this blog and i check it everyday. take care and do have a pleasant weekend
- LA USURPADORA'S FIN!!



                                            
Comments by CommentNation.com

BRING OUR GIRLS BACK... PLEASE

It’s been more than 20 days since the abduction of 276 school girls from Chibok, Borno State by the terrorist group; Boko Haram. I was devastated the day it was announced on the news and my heart immediately went to the parents who right now must be filled with worry for their daughters and every day offering prayers for their safe return. There have been protests here in Nigeria and many parts of the world condemning this cruel and unbelievable act and demands for everything that needs to be done to bring those poor innocent girls back to their parents, and safe home. I’m not a mother but I was once a teacher and there were several students I got attached to during the course of my teaching career; I cringe at the idea of these men saying they are doing this because “Western Education is Haram (forbidden)” and invoking the name of Allah. I’m glad most people know that these men have nothing whatsoever to do with Islam because real, God fearing Muslims will never do this; they will not go about bombing buildings, killing innocent people or kidnapping innocent children. No, they have nothing to do with Islam. Since that fateful day- April 14^th 2014, the country has been on edge waiting for news and getting different reports from the media and so far, 52 out of the school girls have managed to escape and their names listed in the papers. Small comfort... what about the others still out there and probably terrified out of their minds? I don't even want to imagine what the poor girls must be going through as I write this. And what's worse, there were recent reports that the terrorists are even threatening to sell them! 

Why was this done to begin with? Why were these girls taken from their school by the terrorists who disguised themselves as soldiers protecting them and right now having them under their power and sending videos accepting responsibility? What is their motive? What do they actually hope to gain from what they did and all they’ve done in the past and yet, for sure... demand amnesty? It is nothing but twisted, made up ideologies of their own and the gain- to Islamisize the whole of Nigeria- is vague. You do not and cannot force any form of religion on people and violent and cruel acts like this cannot possibly gain anything! And the name itself, Boko Haram... meaning Western Education is forbidden, is this also a means of ending western education in Nigeria? SO MANY PUZZLING QUESTIONS!

But what is really important now is the safe return of the Chibok school girls. I’ve very glad to read that this is a major concern in many countries and Nigeria has been getting support from all sides. With this, we should remain very positive and keep praying for news that they have been found and returned and such a thing will never happen again. What needs to be done should be done so the entire country can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Children are a gift from God and they are to be protected from harm, consoled when sad and educated; not to be subjected to terror and violence like this. This is a very trying and worrying period for Nigeria and all we can do is keep praying, keep protesting until the kidnapped girls from Chibok are safely returned to their parents. The rest of the world... please continue praying for the safe return of our girls.

               

                  

MY FIRST RADIO CHAT

I was on  UNILAG F.M on the 6th of April, 2014 to discuss Creativity in children and how to encourage it.The host was  Nigerian actor, musician and Creative Arts lecturer Mr. Tunji Sotimirin & he discussed the subject with me along with two teachers from the Women's Society Primary School and a young talented poet. The poet got to read one of her  poems while I read a story from one of my books. Listen to the discussion below and please leave your comments! 

BACK TO WRITING...

 It's been a huge gap between books. My first two came out in 2006 and this year 2014, I'm finally working on my (hopefully) third children's book. Let me clear this up; it has nothing to do with laziness- writing is my calling and something I've always wanted to do since I was a child and my father buying us African and Non African works in the hope that his children's English will be impeccable. I can't say if my English is just that but I know that I'm hardly short of words when I speak to people. But I'm digressing here.
Why haven't I written more for over 6 years? Lack of motivation. With my first two, I worked very hard on them; making sure that no old stories will be 'recycled', I wanted  to give my young readers original stories; not ones they've come across before and I was able to.

But as the years went by; I stopped. While I was still able to write DAYS OF OUR LIVES fanfiction and post them at a Wordpress.com fan site and received many kind comments and maintaining two blogs; I found myself uninspired and smarting under a huge case of writer's block. When I summoned up the will to try again, I decided to try writing my first novel. But after a few pages I discarded them, feeling like I was simply writing something people would regard as drivel and rubbish.
But this year- on New Year's Day actually- I prayed to God to make this year my year of triumph and for guidance in writing more books that will be my legacy. So, I started again, children's genre this time but something again held me back. This time it was fear, fear the readers will find it mediocre or rather I would be regarded as mediocre compared to Chiamanda Adichie who recently won another writer's award for her new novel "AMERICANAH".
 How on earth could I ever compare?
But then I got some valuable advice from a lady who is like a sister to me. She said "Don't let fear stop you from attaining your goal, do NOT sell yourself short!" And another from my uncle, "Let the readers be the judge, NOT you."
So currently, I'm working on my new book with renewed energy and motivation and I don't plan to let anything stand in the way of success. Everyone please wish me luck!

Oscars' Report

This year's Oscar awards was a good one for one of my favorite Hollywood actors-Matthew McConaughey- (The Wedding Planner, Sahara, How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days) as he won the Best Actor Oscar for his dramatic and moving portrayal of Ron Woodroof in the biographical film THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB about an AIDS patient who had to smuggle unapproved medication to curb his symptoms as well as of his fellow sufferers of the deadly disease. Since McConaughey lost about 47 pounds to play his role authentically (far more than I'm YET to do), topped with his brilliant acting, he really deserved this honor; I liked him especially as the  adventurous/humorous Dirk Pitt in SAHARA, so I'm saying a hearty congratulations to him.

I'm also happy that 12 YEARS A SLAVE earned a nomination for  Nigerian British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, for his portrayal of Solomon Northup; who by the way really existed. He was a free slave who was kidnapped and sold into slavery and he spent several years away from his family until he was found. I didn't watch it but I did watch an earlier version of Solomon's story as a child, a 1984 television movie starring Avery Brooks - SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY. Ejiofor may not have won the Best Actor Oscar but he did win the BAFTA award so congratulations to him and the people behind the making of 12 YEARS A SLAVE too and let me not forget his co-star,  Lupita Nyong'o, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Patsey (and it was her acting debut!). If SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY could make me cry, I can imagine how tearful 12 YEARS A SLAVE must have been to the audience.





Other winners include.. .

FROZEN- Best Animated Picture

JARED LETO- Best Supporting Actor (The Dallas Buyers Club)

CATE BLACHETT- Best Actress in a Leading Role (Blue Jasmine)

GRAVITY-  Best Visual Effects

CATHERINE MARTIN - Best Costume (The Great Gastby)