It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

I care not what anyone thinks – I love Christmas!!  It IS the most time wonderful time of the year. 

Of course there are increasing numbers of people who refuse to buy into the propaganda and commercialism of it all, and not forgetting those who are more than happy to tell all about its pagan origins.  However, as someone who was brought up as Christian, to me it will always mean Jesus’ birthday and a time for family, friends and love. 

Over the years I have wondered where the message and the religious aspects of Christmas have disappeared to.  In England I feel in trying to be PC and ensure everyone and other religions are comfortable here, we forget that we are Christian country.  I will never refer to Christmas as the holidays as they do across the pond, and is becoming more popular here.  And as someone who does believe in God I will never dismiss Christmas as only a pagan festival.

Christmas has always been special to me and the older I get hasn’t changed.  If anything it’s become more important – it’s the time of year where my family – immediate and extended come together.  It’s a time of year where I get to see friends that I don’t get to see all the time anymore as our lives take on different courses and directions.  It’s a time of joy and happiness and laughter.  It’s a time of togetherness and appreciating what I have.  And it’s a time that makes me feel blessed.  And when I feel blessed how can I not think of God?  And when I think of God – I think of Jesus. 

Happy birthday!

x x

The rise of the period / costume drama

Recently I’ve noticed the rise of the period drama in the film and television world.  Dramas set at the turn of the last century in Europe.  The Tudors and more recently The Borgias, Downton Abbey, the film adaptation of Jane Eyre.  Don’t get me wrong I love the Borgias and can easily see myself getting addicted to Downton Abbey.  However the message that speaks volumes to me about these programs is for once nothing to do with fashion and the beautiful gilded costumes the period brings, but the subliminal message it sends to ethnic minority actors.

  

A hundred plus years ago there were hardly any ethnic minorities visible in Europe, so with the rise of the period drama and in order to maintain authenticity to the era, it feels as though this is a subliminal way to reduce the number of ethnic minorities on screen.

For a long time ethnic minority actors, directors, producers and writers have worked hard to bring diversity to the film and television industry.  Although a role may have been devised with a specific person in mind, it should be colourless in the sense that any actor as long as they are good should be able to fit into the role and play that character – isn’t that what good acting is? 

I might be being paranoid but I think it was Kurt Cobain who was said “Just because you’re paranoid – it doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”

So long Fabregas… Adios Nasri…

Finally… After 4 years of will he / won’t he Cesc Fabregas has made the 35m move from Arsenal to his home club Barcelona.

(Side note – have you noticed that Febregas spell checks as Fibreglass?)  Quite fitting considering I can’t recall when he last played a full season for the Gunners.

If I said Fab wouldn’t be missed I’d obviously be lying – the guy is a genius on the pitch, when on top physical form.  But the farce his leaving descended into every transfer window for the last few years was getting beyond a joke.  It reminded me of the debacle of Thierry Henry’s leaving.  Why there has to be such a big song and dance about it – I don’t know.  In the end I could be forgiven for the many times I said to myself “Just piss of then!”

With Samir Nasri set to make the same cardinal sin as Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure before him –deflecting to Manchester City - it appears Arsenals hopes of ending the trophy drought are in shreds before the season has really even kicked off.  (Pessimistic maybe but I prefer to call myself a realist - last year I expected big things and where did that get me?)  With a ravaged midfield, a poor defence and a lone injury prone striker we can only hope that Arsene Wenger actually spends the money from these sales wisely - bringing in not only the players needed to compete, but the experience necessary to do so too.

The football season is never easy but when you’re an Arsenal fan it always seems that little bit tougher.

x x

London Riots 2011…

I’m disgusted, ashamed and embarrassed to be a Londoner. 

I work hard and have done all my life – trying to better myself every step of the way with the opportunities presented and I’m surrounded by other people doing the same.

Never forgetting for a moment the struggles my grandparents went through when they first came to London, England – The Mother Land – from their native Jamaica.  Coming here for a better way of life only to be greeted by hate and abuse and shut out of the very society they were led to believe they were a part of back home through colonization. 

When my grandfather came here he couldn’t rent a room, couldn’t get a bank account and could barely get a job.  Suffered racial abuse daily but still managed to buy a house and hold down a job by saving up money in a ‘pardna’.  He suffered hardships and difficulties the youth of today wouldn’t even know where to begin to comprehend.  But he struggled through raising his family here to the best of his abilities.  When he was alive I was reminded that things have changed greatly since when he was first here – but there is still a way to go.

The violence that has erupted on the streets of London over the last few days upsets and angers me because it is incited by greed.  Hoards of youth running around stealing trainers, computers and mobile phones.  I’ve been told to see the bigger picture and it’s about them fighting the system and the attitude of the police towards the youth and ethnic minorities.  If they have a problem with the police and the government and the “system” why are they shitting where they eat?  Why not take this fight to the doorstep of your local Police Station or Downing Street or Parliament or run amuck through

Oxford Street

?  Places where the powers that be will have to take note and listen sharpish to your voices.  Because they’re not stupid – trash any of those areas and they will be water cannoned or shot or hogtied before you can fart.  If people have points to make and concerns to voice, now is the time else this will have all been pointless and all this chaos is going to do is set the divide between the disenfranchised youth and the rest of society even further apart. 

The only victims of this madness so far have been innocent hardworking people – small business owners, homeowners and terrified residents afraid for their homes and their safety.  Once the dust finally settles and the cost of these riots has been calculated Council Tax and Insurance costs will soar, house prices will fall and these same already deprived inner city areas, will have even less funding for regeneration and an even bigger lack of investment for the future.

x x

Things that make you go hmmm…

Yesterday (3^rd August) the transport minister said that Londoners should walk or cycle to work during the 2012 London Olympics to ease congestion on London Transport.  This made me laugh out loud and spew my cereal over the table!! 

The Transport Minister and the Mayor should come with me on my daily commute on the lovely Victoria and District lines and see how feasible that suggestion really is.  Could it be that the penny has finally dropped, and the powers that be realise London Underground can barely cope with the hundreds and thousands of Londoners commuting to work on a daily basis without the addition of millions of tourists coming to town for the Olympics?  Not a day goes by that there isn’t some form of delay or overrunning engineering works on any one of the 12 LU lines.  And let’s not forget the stopping in tunnels and on platforms to regulate the service coupled with the overcrowding. 

Since we won the Olympic bid back in 2005, a lot of time, effort and money has gone into regenerating East London and the building the Olympic Park, but only a cosmetic upgrade has been slowly taken place on the London Transport Network which really should have been at the forefront of the whole operation.  How else do they expect all the people coming to the city to get around?

The fact that many Londoners and UK residents (me included) missed out Olympic tickets only adds to the farce that this is descending into.  And the latest titbit of advice from the Transport Minster is a joke worthy of any comedian on 8 out of 10 cats.

Hmmm indeed!!

Smiley Culture 1963 -2011

Whether you knew him personally or remembered his music from the eighties – everyone was shocked by the untimely death of Smiley Culture on Tuesday 15^th March.  When I heard Smiley was dead the lyrics to Cockney Translation popped into my head – the song still makes me smile.

As news of his death spread across social networking sights Facebook and Twitter – it’s the details surrounding his death, or lack thereof, that has caused concern. 

Smiley Culture’s home was raided by police on the morning on Tuesday 15^th March, and a few hours later he was pronounced dead at the scene, with initial reports alleging that he had harmed himself.  A post mortem has since revealed that a single stab wound through the heart was the cause of his death.

The family is still waiting for the facts of what happened to be explained to them and their questions to be answered, and the delay of this information is fueling speculation of foul play.  A press conference was held on the 17^th March by the family, and press from the main media outlets were missing, which hasn’t gone unnoticed.  It begs the question, had this of happened to someone without Smiley’s public profile would we even be made aware of it?

The family and the wider community deserve to know what happened.  They are not asking for much, just what we all deserve as a standard – Truth and Justice.

A public meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday 24^th March 2011, 7pm – 8.30pm at Lambeth Town Hall.

Join the Facebook Page www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118725288203991&_rdr

Watch the hour long press conference here http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13375130

The life of a Gooner

It's tough being an Arsenal fan. 

A month ago we had the usual spate of injuries that regularly plague our first team players, but we had all the enthusiasm in the world and four trophies to play for - albeit one that included playing Barcelona - probbaly the best team in the world. 

Four weeks later and we're srcambling around looking for for a Goalkeeper and have only one last chance at a piece of silverwear.  The latest defeat coming aginst league table leaders Man U at Old Trafford, and saw us kicked out of the FA Cup. 

I've been an Arsenal fan for as long as I can remember and I'm a Gooner for life as I always say - but it does beg the question - Is beautiful football enough?  Every year Arsene Wenger gets us top four of the league with CL qualification but surely I'm not the only fan that thinks something has got to give?  Of course I appreciate his style of traning up the youngsters and the beautiful way we play and pass the ball - but if we're not winning doesn't that mean it's not working...?  We need experience and a few key quality players at the back and up front in order to be a team to reckoned with.  Our defence is poor and as much as I love RVP and Fabulous Fabregas - they are injury prone and easily spend half the season on the bench.  My favourite players at the moment are Alex Song, Johan Djourou and Jack Wilshire, but I worry about how long we can keep them before other clubs start knocking.  Other clubs that have the winning mentality we seem to lose in every crucial game.

Every February / March our season crumbles and we add another trophyless season to the collection - five and counting.  I know the season is not over and one should have faith that the league is ours for the taking - but I'm a realist and I'm struggling with confidence after recent defeats. 

Roll on summer transfer window and the hopes that Wengers short arms stretch into his deep pockets.

x x

International Womens Day!!

Whilst I am excited today to celebrate the great women that have helped me to be come the woman I am - I had niggling feeling in the back of my mind that this is very much a mans world, and we had been given this one day out of 365.

My perspective was wrong though - and its a day for everyone else to recognize and celebrate the great women in their lives and the great women who have touched their lives.  A bit like Mother's Day and Father's Day.  We love our parents all year round but these two days are there for us to make them feel special and appreciated because maybe they are not made to feel that way all of the time.  Similarly with Valentines Day - everyone agrees until the cows come home that its commercial nonsense.  But how many of us feel loved and special when we get that card or that bouquet of red roses - that signifies that I may not say I love you everyday of the year but this day is for me to show you that I do.

International Women’s Day is a day that should be recognized globally, so little girls the world over can see that they can do and be anything they want - like the great women before them.  It is day that men and boys can appreciate that we bring more to the table than something aesthetically pleasing on the eye.  We are strong, determined, intelligent, capable as well as elegant and beautiful. 

For me today I give special thanks to all women who have touched my life from Chaka Khan who was on iPod this morning singing "I'm every woman" to Iyanla Vanzant who's books truly changed my life.  The most important woman in my life is my mum because she was the first woman in my world and her love and support and kindness is the main reason I am who I am today.

x x