HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy, Happy New Year to everyone as we welcome 2010 and my God see us all through this year, as well as this. 2009 was an uneventful year for me but I cherished it; I'm the sort of person that thrives on relative peace in life and by the grace of God- it will always be that way.

Well, I pray 2010 will be a very good year for the country and I SINCERELY hope that one of the New Year miracles we shall recieve is the safe return of our president and the end of the damned fuel scarcity going on- it's totally ridiculous. And I also hope this year will bring-at long last- 24 hours of electricity; it's so annoying paying bills every month and not getting your money's worth & businesses crumbling.
As for this blog, MY FAVORITE THINGS, it will be 3 years old by May- and I really hope to get more visitors and money from it, 'cause man must eat as well ,musn't he?
In the meantime, stand by for more Tu O Nadie snippets as well as other fun stuff I can put together. HAPPY NEW YEAR and may we all have many more... Insha Allah. Peace & Love from your host. 

2012 & OTHER MOVIES NOT TO BE MISSED!

I saw 2012 at the Ozone Cinema and it WAS THE BOMB!!! Never have I seen such mind blowing visual effects since INDEPENDENCE DAY and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, I was absolutely spellbound by the whole movie. And it wasn't just the effects, but the superb acting of British-born Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as Dr. Adrian Hemsley, scientific advisor to the President, who discovered something terribly wrong with the earth's crust, John Cusack, as Jackson- a writer who emerged an unlikely hero, Woody Harrelson as a conspiracy theorist who revealed the government's big cover-up to Jackson, veteran actor Danny Glover as the U.S President and the lovely Thandie Newton as Laura Wilson, the president's daughter. It is a MUST watch- once you watch it, you'll be totally hooked; I give it two thumbs up!
 Trivia: The director, Roland Emmerich, also directed INDEPENDENCE DAY, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, GODZILLA, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER & 10,000 B.C.

Before the movie started, I saw the preview of SHERLOCK HOLMES, the latest in the long line of adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories of the most brilliant private eye and his faithful colleague/roommate/biographer Dr. Watson. I can't wait to see it especially since one of the characters includes the only woman who was actually able trick Holmes successfully, Irene Adler, but the casting was a bit odd to me; Holmes is portrayed  by American actor  Robert Downey Jr. (IRON MAN)  and Watson by British actor, Jude Law (COLD MOUNTAIN)- I would have thought it was the other way round, but from what I see, Robert did a fine job. And apart from that, both characters look to be in their mid-thirties whereas in the books, they were always described as middle-aged. Lastly, there were two scenes that shocked me, one of Irene kissing the woman hating Holmes on  the mouth and the other of Watson punching out  Holmes. Directed by Madonna's ex husband, Guy Ritchie and  another must watch.

 After 2012 wrapped up, I saw the poster of this movie outside and later on I checked on what it was about. This one is called INVICTUS, starring veteran actor Morgan Freeman &  Matt Damon and directed by another veteran, Clint Eastwood, who'd previously worked with Freeman in UNFORGIVEN & MILLION-DOLLAR BABY.  In this biographical drama, Freeman is Nelson Mandela, who after several years as a prisoner in Robben Island, was  released in 1990 and became South Africa's president in 1994- but still had a major task ahead of him, and that was to unite the blacks and whites ; especially as  the country was to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Helping him with that goal was the captain of the rugby team , Francois Pienaar played by Matt Damon. Freeman has already been nominated as for a a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a leading role, Damon for Best Supporting Actor & Best Director for Eastwood(not at all surprised at that one).
P.S : what I like best about Mr. Freeman is his unique ability of narration e.g THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION & MILLION-DOLLAR BABY.

Days of Our Lives: Bo and Carly's Special Moments

I'm not the only one who is observing Days Of Our Lives with renewed interest after the sudden but very delightful  return of Carly Manning(Crystal Chappelle) after a 16 year absence from the show. Her fans were heartbroken when  her passionate love affair with Bo Brady suddenly  ended in 1993; now that she's returned to Salem just when Bo is having marital troubles- fans are already  rooting for the princess & the sailor to get back together again!
Here are a few images showing some of the couple's most tender moments...

The first time Bo told Carly he loved her after a long struggle

When Bo was infected by a deadly virus meant for Carly.

During  their symbolic wedding/commitement ceremony in Mexico

Reading the scroll. Bo discovered she still had it after 18 years when it fell out of her purse  in a recent episode

Their memorable wedding night; the very first time they did 'you know what' since they'd met!!!

"On their honeymoon" in Cancun

Reunited after Bo was kidnapped by a drug cartel. The couple were seperated  for 2 whole months!

2009- Bo and Carly bonding after her sudden return to Salem following the murder of her abusive husband (who she'd  left Bo for)

In loving memory: Alaina & Brittany

I was still reeling in shock at the news of Brittany Murphy's sudden death; I'd only watched five of her films- Just Married, Girl,Interrupted,  8 Mile, Uptown Girls and Little Black Book- then I heard about the death of Alaina Reed Hall, who those who grew up with Sesame Street knew as the ever smiling photographer Olivia, who died of breast cancer at the age of 63. It's very sad- she was one of my favorite characters in Seasame Street, she had a melodious singing voice and looking back, she was the one who got me interested in photography. And Brittany, how on earth does a 32 year old get cardiac arrest? This just again shows just how fragile life is and how we should remember to fear God always in order to attain His Mercy on Judgement Day.

This year we've lost several notable stars- Bernie Mac, Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, Natasha Richardson, Ricardo Montalban(I watched his show 'Fantasy Island' as a child), Ron Silver and of course Michael Jackson. May Allah accept them all among his chosen few. Amin.

RI.P   

Days of Our Lives: The great beauty of flashback

I was more of a Capitol, The Bold & The Beautiful and Santa Barbara fan some years ago, and then Days of Our Lives briefly came to our screens. There were old episodes but they fascinated me very much because of the super couple at that time; Bo Brady and Carly Manning. Bo had fallen in love with the lovely medical doctor after the great love of his life, Hope Williams was assumed dead and he and Carly had many ups and downs but their love always weathered it. During one of their ‘downs’, Carly was set up for murder by the vicious Vivian Alamaine and got injected, leaving her in a coma. Vivian then further use a Chinese herbal medicine to paralyze Carly, making everyone believe she was dead, including a very grief stricken Bo. But after she was dug out by the father of her son, Lawrence Alamaine(Vivian’s nephew and a man everyone in Salem hated, especially Bo), she woke up from the coma but alas , had lost her memory(weird, when she was unconscious she kept on screaming Bo’s name) and thought Larry was the man she was engaged to because of the diamond ring on her finger.

Bo discovered she was alive and tried to make her remember him- she felt drawn to him and even allowed him to kiss her but she didn’t regain her memory until a friend of Bo’s – Billie Reed- brought her son Nicky to her. Alas, she felt more drawn to Larry because he’d looked after her when she was ill(brainwashed her more like) so she and Bo said their very tearful goodbyes and she returned the ring she’d worn for so long. These were 1993 episodes and after Bo started going out with Billie , I lost interest and STV stopped showing it; actually It was STV’s early days that this soap was shown in the first place.

However, I read written recaps of the series- Bo and Billie married and had a daughter but Hope, his long lost love returned to Salem and Billie stepped aside when Bo made it plain he still loved Hope. Hope and Bo, after many obstacles, married but currently they are estranged. What’s worse- to my horror- after a 16 year absence, Carly has resurfaced!

She had been living abroad with Lawrence as his wife but the marriage had gone sour long ago and he’d gone back to his evil, abusive self. She’d had an affair which produced a daughter but Larry made her give her up and she spent years worrying about the child. Then one night, Larry informed her he was making arrangements to have the child killed. She proceeded to pack and leave but Larry started beating her and she stabbed him to death.

 Flying to Salem to escape and look for her daughter, she went to the one person she trusted, Bo- now Salem’s Police Commissioner. She broke into his house and he grabbed her from behind, thinking she was an intruder but to his great shock looked into the eyes of his former fiancee for the first time in years.  After listening to her sad story and doing all he could to make sure she wasn’t extradited – Carly prepared to settle in Salem and work once again at the hospital. Which finally brings me to what moved me very much... as a writer.

What I love in soaps are flashbacks... they bring to mind special moments a fan may have  forgotten.

In the episode I watched yesterday, Carly’s purse dropped on her way out and Bo helped her gather the things that fell out; one of them the Mayan scroll his former sister-in-law had given to them before their  wedding ceremony  eighteen years ago(actually it was more of a commitment ceremony, long story).

Bo remarked at how she’d kept it for so long; she shyly said she couldn’t throw it away because it held many good memories. I had watched that wedding; good memories is a GROSS understatement, it was the period when they’d been young and deliriously happy. Bo agreed and that was when I saw the flashback- both of them in their wedding clothes, reading the poem in the scroll together. It was only for a few seconds, but it was so beautiful; the actor and actress  have been on the soap for a very long time so it was so realistic, along with the soft track played. Then it faded back to the present and Bo and Carly had exchanged a look before she took her leave. I just hope Bo and Carly will not get back together; Hope already suspects Carly wants to steal her husband and apart from that, it could lead to heartbreak- Bo had left Billie when Hope returned. If he started something with Carly again... she might  be the loser.