COURAGEOUS SURFER : BETHANY HAMILTON

 I read Bethany Hamilton's story in Reader's Digest some years ago. I saw a photo of this pretty young woman holding a broken surf board and to my horror saw she was missing an arm. That was when I read her story thoroughly.

Bethany was 13 when she lost her arm to a shark while surfing that fateful day, October 31, 2003. What moved me was she didn't even panic, she described how she remained calm as the people with her helped her back to shore and did what they could to the bleeding stump before taking her to the hospital. I can only imagine how her father (who was at the hospital that day for a knee surgery) must have felt when he was told his child had been attacked by a shark!
In the article, Bethany talked about how she was itching to go back to surfing as her dream was to be a professional surfer; which she is now. She got a lot of support from her family and friends and drew her strength from God, being a devout Christian. She  didn't sit around and mope about her lost arm... no! She was soon back in the water and taught herself how to surf with one arm. Looking at her arm in the photo, I knew she couldn't possibly wear a prosthetic arm in or out of the water because the bite was far too high up and I again marvelled at her courage and determination to conquer the waves and not let what that shark did to her stop her from fulfilling her dream. Who would go back to the water after such a trauma? Bethany did.

I watched the movie adaptation of her book- SOUL SURFER last month and I had to reach for my hanky at the footages of the real Bethany Hamilton surfing, beating the waves. With determination, she also had faith in God and thanks to Him, she's alive,  still surfing and a real role model.
Her story is moving and inspirational and the whole time I read it, I didn't see her as a victim. I saw a very courageous young woman and may God continue watching over her and leading her to victory.

AND STILL WAITING... AND STILL PRAYING #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

It's now June. Protests in Nigeria and in several parts of the world still go on for the rescue of the Chibok school girls who were abducted by Boko Haram on the 14th of April 2014; 4 more have escaped but the remaining terrified girls  are yet to be rescued. It's not just about the girls; the bombings and the killing of innocent people are going as well. Recently, 9 people were killed in a church in Borno by the terrorists and it's been reported that some of the kidnapped girls have fallen ill due to malnutrition. But what are the options will be used to get them back since force cannot be used and how long is this nightmare going to continue? Of course, force cannot be used- it would surely endanger the girls  but what is going to be done??? That is the question surely on the minds of the grieving parents and everybody campaigning for their release.
Every day we keep our eyes and ears peeled out for good news but news remain bad; the girls are still out there, more bombings and killings and now, the police has banned protests in the capital.

Police have banned #bringbackourgirls protests in Nigeria http://t.co/95VnRpEAqp pic.twitter.com/aa9jlgFrn3
— NowThis News (@nowthisnews) June 3, 2014

WHY?

The demonstrations, it was explained, are becoming a security threat to the capital's citizens. Apparently, anyone could just easily blend into the protesters and set off  bombs. Point taken but at the same time, the FCT police cannot expect the protesters to just take it like that and they aren't since they are taking it to court on the grounds the ban is illegal.
Whatever methods that will be adopted for rescuing the girls and put an end to Boko Haram at long last, the prayers continue. As for them, we all plead in the name of God... and Humanity.

LATEST ON VITALII SEDIUK

According to several sources, 'The Hollywood Pest' who has now been fired from his job at 1+1 (and it  serves him right since he did more of upsetting celebrities and making a fool of himself than doing his job properly), will not serve time in jail for his latest 'prank', instead he's been officially banned from all  Hollywood events and given three years probation, made to do community service plus a year of psychological counselling. About time he was given that!
Vitalli Sediuk keeps maintaining that he's not crazy, he just thinks differently. Please... what do you call sticking your face under an actress' dress, attempting to kiss an actor, pressing your face on crotches, jumping over a barricade to hit an actor on the face AND running around in  a G string on a catwalk during Fashion Week, yet another event he crashed... you call all that normal? But hey... anything to get noticed right... you don't care what you do as long as your not so funny antics are reported!

Personally, I don't believe the freakazoid is going to behave himself; he seems so cocky, so overconfident and full of himself. And, I suspect, he's  not entirely right in the head which is why I'm glad he's going to get some counselling. Behind his creepily warm smiles, hides a guy who has mental  issues. He claimed his 'pranks' are for fun and he doesn't mean any harm well, he needs to know that it's not fun for the celebrities he's been annoying. He doesn't seem to have actually learnt his lesson but maybe, just maybe the court ordered counselling will knock some sense in that thick skull of his.

THE RICH ALSO CRY: THE REST OF THE STORY SNIPPET 2

Ramona asked Marianna if she was glad she was having a baby. Marianna admitted she was but very sorry it had come about now; with  Luis Alberto so enraged with her. Ramon was confident that Marianna’s pregnancy would bring them back together and Marianna wondered if she should tell Luis Alberto right away. Ramona replied, as soon as possible and she would phone the best hotels in the city to locate him.

However she couldn’t because Luis Alberto had already left Mexico so Ramona sends a telegram. Luis Alberto is in Brazil with his partner, Mr. Duarte to begin their construction project. Mr. Duarte hands him a telegram that had arrived for him. Opening it, Luis read the message: Marianna is pregnant and she needed him. But Luis Alberto’s face hardens instead and doesn’t bother replying.

A few weeks go by and while Luis Alberto is resting on a hammock, he opened his eyes to see Marianna standing over him, looking very pretty in her white suit. Luis Alberto is not pleased to see her, demanding to know what she was doing in Brazil; to tell him in person about the baby.

Marianna actually came because she assumed he didn’t get Ramona’s telegram so she was very hurt by his words, didn’t he care about their unborn child?

‘Why should I?’ was Luis Alberto’s cold question.

Mariana said it’s his baby but he rudely interrupted her, saying it was a lie; what she had in her womb was not his baby but another man’s, just like with Esther when she claimed her baby was when it fact it was Diego’s. Marianna just wanted him to believe otherwise. Marianna should simply take the child to Leonardo after it’s born!

Marianna, some of her old fiery spirit returning, demanded that he listened to her for once but Luis Alberto stubbornly maintained he was not the father and Marianna was only trying to trick him. Twice, Esther had tricked him; a fake pregnancy and then a pregnancy that wasn’t his- two lies. Now Marianna was coming up with the same story. Mariana snapped that her own pregnancy wasn’t fake, they can go to the nearest hospital and he will know. But Luis Alberto said then it must be that imbecile’s child, not his; the imbecile she betrayed him for. Marianna said she never cheated on him, how could he think that of her? Luis Alberto asked, what was Leonardo doing in their bedroom, holding her like that?

Marianna kept insisting it was all a misunderstanding; Leonardo came by to wish them well but alas, Luis Alberto still didn’t believe her, really certain she was carrying Leonardo’s baby and said he hated her and she shouldn’t come looking for him again. (Poor Marianna!)

Summoning one of his workers, he instructed him to take Marianna to the airport and again telling her he didn’t want to see her again; she mustn’t come back. Marianna left, weeping pitifully.

 Luis Alberto sent a telegram to his parents; informing them his work in Brazil was going on well and he’ll be there for another 5 months.

Back in Mexico, Ramona and the other servants take care of Marianna who was having a rather difficult pregnancy; along with stress and worry and she’d lost hope of Luis Alberto returning to her. She is very sad Luis Alberto denied his own child. Ramona consoled her, at least Marianna was wealthy; she had enough to see to the child’s needs. Ramona went upstairs and Maria hands her a letter delivered by the mailman.

It’s a letter from Luis Alberto; he has decided to file for a divorce and suggested that Marianna asked Leonardo to take care of her child since he’s the ‘real father’. Filled with sheer anguish, Marianna fled the house. 

MAYA ANGELOU'S FAVORITE THINGS

Maya Angelou's guest appearance in Sesame Street

THE FREAKAZOID STRIKES AGAIN!

Okay... what more does this freakazoid have to do before the authorities do something to curb his ridiculous behavior with celebrities? Not long ago he managed to slip under America Ferrera's dress at the Cannes Festival ; now we hear that Vitalii  Sediuk struck Brad Pitt on the face (imagine that!) during the premire of Angelina Jolie's movie: Maleficent. The crazy man actually jumped over the barricade and slapped the actor before  taken away and I hope it's a polite word for 'arrested' because I  can't imagine them letting him go just like that this time.

Seriously, WHAT is this guy's problem and what exactly is the meaning behind these stupid pranks of his? Some sort of statement because honestly I really don't see why he insists on making a real nuisance of himself like this. It's either he wasn't given a warning after his behavior at the Cannes Festival or chose to ignore it; I didn't think he would pull another red carpet stunt that soon. It may not even be statement, it may be Sediuk wants his own amount of fame even if he winds up regarded as the 'celebrity pest' or just wants to see how far he can go and how often he can get away with his weird behavior.
But whatever his reasons for these stupid pranks, they are NOT FUNNY. If Sediuk wasn't given a warning the last time, he should be given a serious warning now; stop the 'pranks' or go to jail. Honestly, the man has turned from weird to simply ridiculous. They are calling Vitalii Sediuk  'the serial prankster' now, what will they call him if one of his 'celebrity pranks' causes an accident or worse, he walks up to a celebrity with a weapon in his hand? This man is no prankster, he's just a major stalker and a nuisance  looking for attention and notoriety. If that's the case, he's winning. It's best he should be treated like the freakazoid that he is, given ZERO attention and lock his ass in jail for a few months.
That will clip his wings!

ADIEU MAYA ANGELOU

What can one say about Dr. Maya Angelou ? Her numerous fans will talk about her books; her beautiful poems, her plays, movies her T.V shows as well as her active role in the Civil Rights movement. When she was alive, I followed her on Twitter. Though I never tweeted  her, I always made sure I read her tweets, which were usually wise sayings. Her last one was on May 23th, 2014; which reads...

Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.
— Maya Angelou (@DrMayaAngelou) May 23, 2014

Dr. Maya Angelou was a very remarkable woman. Not just because of what she accomplished but how she started in the beginning and forged ahead. She experienced racism, sexual molestation and a period when she couldn't talk after that sad incident. But she created a niche for herself after discovering her love for books; thus became the woman we will always remember. She was very open about her past in her autobiographies; her struggles made her even more human. Aside from her writing, she learnt several languages, was one of the advocates of Civil Rights and Education. Here in Nigeria, her book "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" is widely read; I found a few copies at a book stand in The University of Lagos. 

In Tyler Perry's 2006 movie "Madea's Family Reunion", Dr. Angelou had a cameo role and recited this lovely poem in the wedding scene: 

The sun has come.
The mist has gone.
We see in the distance…
our long way home.
I was always yours to have.
You were always mine.

We have loved each other in and out of time.

When the first stone looked up at the blazing sun
and the first tree struggled up from the forest floor
I had always loved you more.
You freed your braids…
gave your hair to the breeze.
It hummed like a hive of honey bees.
I reached in the mass for the sweet honey comb there….
Mmmm…God how I love your hair.

You saw me bludgeoned by circumstance.
Lost, injured, hurt by chance.
I screamed to the heavens….loudly screamed….
Trying to change our nightmares into dreams…

The sun has come.
The mist has gone.
We see in the distance our long way home.
I was always yours to have.
You were always mine.
We have loved each other in and out
in and out
in and out
of time.

And there was her memorable poem in 1993's "Poetic Justice": PHENOMENAL WOMAN; from her 1978's "And Still I Rise" 

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me. 

Today, a very remarkable woman has passed on to the world beyond. And the world will never forget her as we pray to God to grant her soul eternal rest.

My wish for you is joy. When you wish someone joy, you wish peace, love, prosperity, health, happiness... all the good things.
— Maya Angelou (@DrMayaAngelou) November 12, 2013

           

THE RICH ALSO CRY: THE REST OF THE STORY SNIPPET 1

The first telenovela to hit Nigerian T.V was 1979 Los Ricos Tambien LLoran; what we know as The Rich Also Cry; starring Veronica Castro as Marianna and Rogelio Guerra as Luis Alberto. It’s a telenovela we’ll never forget; Marianna and Luis Alberto almost forced apart for good no thanks to his awful cousin who trapped him into marriage- Esther, played by Rocio Banquells; the real-life daughter of the show’s director, Rafael Banquells- who was also in front of the camera as Father Adrian, the family’s priest.

After several months of angst, the telenovela ended with Marianna and Luis Alberto’s wedding. Or, so we thought.

The Rich Also Cry is one of the oldest and longesttelenovelas so maybe NTA decided to end the story there so as to move on to the next one, which was Tu O Nadie; No One ButYou. But we are entitled to know the rest of the story; long or not. Hence, I’ll be posting snippets of the remaining part of The Rich Also Cry and draw your own conclusions! 

After the wedding reception, Luis Alberto and Marianna spent their honeymoon at the cabin he bought specially for her. Over dinner by candle light, Luis tells her how very happy she’s finally his wife after all the trouble they’d experienced, it felt like a dream. They toasted each other and enjoyed the rest of their time together.

Sometime after they return from their honeymoon, Luis Alberto had to go on a business trip and at the same time, Don Alberto and Mrs. Elena are moving to Europe. But Marianna couldn’t see them off at the airport as she’s not feeling well. Luis Alberto offered to postpone the trip a few days but she urged him to go, she would be well soon. He kissed her goodbye while Don Alberto and Mrs. Elena do so as well; wishing her speedy recovery.

A few minutes after their departure, Marianna is informed she has a visitor and she gives instructions to the servant to send whoever it is up; she’s too weak to go downstairs.

Her visitor turned out to be Leonardo, her ex fiancé; who came by to see how she was doing and to give her his sincere congratulations on her recent wedding and asked for Luis Alberto (Give me a break, seriously?  How do we know he’s not just using a ruse to see the woman he’s clearly not over one more time? And he never liked Luis Alberto!)

Marianna thanked him graciously, exchanging pleasantries but all of a sudden feels very dizzy and collapses; Leonardo caught her just in time, calling her name anxiously as he lowered her on the bed.

Unfortunately, Luis Alberto walked in and, needless to say, absolutely furious on seeing his former rival holding his wife. (How many Nigerian fans remember this guy’s very hot temper?). He glared at Leonardo and then at Marianna who was slowly coming to and surprised he was back. Luis Alberto didn’t fly to Brazil because the flight was cancelled due to bad weather. Luis is very angry, accusing them both of using his absence to sneak around behind his back. Refusing to listen to Leonardo’s explanations, he threw him out. Marianna tried to follow but another wave of dizziness stopped her. Ramona (Esther’s mother and now Marianna’s personal maid) hurried in anxiously and Marianna tearfully told her what just happened. Ramona is dismayed and advised her to convince Luis Alberto it was a misunderstanding. Luis Alberto came back, ordering Ramona out. He coldly told Marianna that he didn’t want to see her in the house when he came back from Brazil. Marianna protested her innocence but he still wouldn’t listen to her; as he’d heard Leonardo address her as ‘my love’ when he was trying to wake her up. Marianna protested she’d fainted, she didn’t know the reason.

But Luis Alberto is adamant, saying she was a liar like Esther! Marianna was even more upset; reminding him she broke up with Leonardo to be with him. The stupid man told her he was going to sleep at a hotel that night and he never wanted to see her again. He walked out, leaving poor Marianna in tears.

She was unable to sleep that night, Luis Alberto’s words running through her mind.Ramona and the housekeeper Maria came up to console her, assuring her Luis Alberto would come round and apologise to her. Marianna suddenly began wriggling about as though in pain and Ramona told Maria to call the doctor.

The doctor arrived and after hearing about Marianna’s weakness and fits of dizziness, told her what was wrong with her.

Marianna is pregnant!

WHY THE GENDER BIAS IN ADULTERY?

  

Somehow or the other, one half of a couple strays and has an affair. When caught, the usual words of defence are "It didn't mean anything." Two results, either the wounded party either ends the marriage due to breach of trust or all if forgiven (usually with a certain amount of difficulty and it's more about forgiving than actually forgetting because during a likely future argument, it's bound to be used to rub the cheater's face ) or filing for a divorce. 

In this country when a man gets caught having an affair, there would be a buzz but he wouldn't exactly be condemned, oh no. The woman would turn a blind eye because she doesn't want to start over or a family meeting will be held... where she would be persuaded and advised to give her husband another chance. After all, men are men and the children must not suffer from a broken home. Then how come a woman is caught cheating, she is condemned and called everything from a harlot to a slut? Why is she more of the sinner, more than the men? Adultery is Adultery and no matter the gender; the person has done a bad thing. 

I’m not going to go into the reasons why there are cheating husbands and cheating wives, it’s the way society handles it that bothers me. Society is more judgemental towards the woman than the guy, like it’s the husband’s privilege to have a mistress but more than ready to stone the woman with insults. Like I said earlier, the guys always get away with what they do, even after they get caught. In most cases, after the mistress winds up pregnant, the family intervenes and the wronged woman is presented with her ‘junior wife. In other cases, if a guy happens to bang someone else’s wife, the wife protects him rather than tell on him because for sure her husband will get a real beating from the man he made a cuckold and it’s more about preventing her children from being fatherless than actual loyalty from him. It’s not like he deserves it anyway.

But a cheating wife is made a pariah. She’s a prostitute, a harlot and a slut. She’s prosecuted by the family and sent packing and for a very long time, she’s publicly gossiped about, more than a cheating husband. She is not protected nor shown any loyalty, she would probably be cursed.

Most countries are male dominated, like Nigeria. When it comes to something like adultery, the men are well protected because... well, because they are men after all. Women are not because they are the second class gender, they are expected to be the epitome of virtue and patience and being otherwise reduces them to be lower than the dust. A cheating husband should get as much judgement like a cheating wife would and his act not to be taken lightly and he should not be allowed to get away with it. If society would condemn a cheating wife, then the cheating husband should be treated that way. While cheating wives are called names like 'tramp', 'slut' or 'ashewo', what are the cheating husbands usually called... 'dogs'? Ironically, it sounds more like a compliment than an actual insult.

Seriously, am I the only one who thinks than when it comes to marital cheating, the guy gets off lightly? 

WHAT'S BUZZING RIGHT NOW!

We're still getting over the news of rapper Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's wedding in Florence and I hope it works well for them. This is Kanye's first marriage and Kim's third- her previous marriage to  basketball player Kris Humpheries ended  72 days (lord knows why) after the wedding.after she began dating West and had their little North, I was wondering if they would actually take the plunge and walk down the aisle. Well they are Mr. and Mrs. now and I hope they'll be very happy.

However there's another new bride, Lisa Niemi who just got married to jeweler Albert DePrisco. Lisa Niemi is the widow of actor Patrick Swayze (Ghost, Dirty Dancing) who died in 2009 from pancreatic cancer.While Patrick is no doubt missed, life of course has to go on. The happy couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in Florida, the bride reported decked out in a dress designed by Oscar de la Renta. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness as well.

WHAT TO EXPECT SOON...

Angelina Jolie in Maleficent 

I've seen Angelina in dark roles before, the one I find memorable is her role in Girl, Interrupted where she played Lisa; a manipulative sociopath with a very nasty temper. But for her to be cast as the evil fairy  from the  Sleeping Beauty tale, I honestly didn't see that coming but I honestly can't wait to see it. I don't know much about the movie's plot but from what I gathered, it is a live action adaptation of  Sleeping Beauty, only this time the story is  in Maleficent's point of view. Maleficent's origins will be shown and why she decided to curse the 'Sleeping Beauty'- Princess Aurora. But apparently, something or someone just might change her mind. After watching Once Upon A Time, I'm prepared for anything in this movie.