For a while, I've been meaning to post my documentary Ke Nako (It's Time!) on here for you all to view. But I had to save it in a smaller file to meet You Tube's limitations. I've finally been able to post it. Let me know what you think.
For those who are unaware, Ke Nako is a documentary about South Africa's journey from a dark history in apartheid, to hosting the first African-held FIFA World Cup in just 16 years since its first democratically-held elections. While in Cape Town and Johannesburg, I was fortunate to meet and interview several dignitaries like Alf Kumalo, Pitika Ntuli and Noor Ibrahim. None of these men were granting interviews at the time. Nor were they allowing cameras into their respective museums and exhibitions. Except mine. It was important for me to tell a story worth justifying the rare opportunity I'd been given. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, Archbishop Desmond Tutu's daughter, and Thabo Mxotwa, a Robben Island Museum tour guide, also helped tell the basis of this documentary.
I encourage your comments, opinions and criticism.
Here's also a link to a story I wrote about a soldier's experience with apartheid. I didn't have a video camera with me at the time, but here is his story in print: Remembering apartheid: A soldier's story
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What are your regrets?
While vacationing in London, my friends Lola and Obehi and I took a four day trip to Barcelona. It was a first visit to Spain for all of us and we made what I feel is the best decision to rent a car, and get a hotel in Malgrat del Mar, about an hour or less away from Barcelona. The town is a friendly tourist spot right by the beach and with close proximity to all Barcelona offers. Lots of tourists opt for sponsored bus tours into the city, but we felt independent enough to tackle the roadways and signs without a reasonable working knowledge of the Spanish language. Don't ask me how we did it, but we managed to take entirely different routes each time we went to and from Barcelona.
La Sagrada Familia.
Mamadou on our last night.
We were welcomed by two good looking men at the concierge of our hotel, the Luna Club, a four-star hotel that's just 300m from the beach. We were justifiably tired when we arrived, so we didn't really appreciate the friendly nature of Mamadou until our last night in Spain when he and Said, a Moroccan, treated us to a pitcher of sangria while everyone else was seemingly asleep.
Then he shared his story. A promising soccer player from Senegal who played with a first division Belgian club. Then suffered a career-ending knee injury. He relocated to France, before settling in Spain. Every where I go, I always seem to be drawn to people connected to some sport or the other. Many of them have stories like Mamadou's: a once promising athletic career now abandoned for a variety of reasons. Just like me.
Growing up in a family of athletes, playing sports came naturally to me. You name it, I played it. Well, OK, maybe not everything. But just about every major sport I played. I fostered dreams of setting a world record as the fastest female track & field athlete in the world. But after I graduated high school as a sports prefect, I gave up on everything. I still loved competing, but there just weren't concrete avenues to continue to pursue my dreams. By the time I moved to the U.S. I was a slightly overweight has-been who focused entirely on getting an education worth making my parents proud. I still have regrets about not continuing as a competitive athlete. And my regrets have a funny way of coming to light. I don't enjoy running on a track anymore (I run on a treadmill) because I feel like a failure. It's usually followed by a sense of remorse, and before you know it, I'm walking off the track well short of meeting my goal because I've mentally battered myself over the purpose of running.
Unlike Mamadou, there's nothing physically stopping me from resuming this athletic career if I choose to embrace the difficult rigors of getting back in ideal shape. But I somehow allow my regrets get the best of me. But when I asked Mamadou if he regrets losing out on the possibility of making millions, he hardly hesistated in responding no with a smiling face. There's a lot to be said about that. And even more to be learned. I got into sports journalism as a way to marry my past in sports to my future and I have no regrets about what I've accomplished so far. It's time for me to let go of my regret over never becoming a professional athlete, and like Mamadou, break into a smile when I think of how lucky I am to still remain in close contact with this industry.
Anyone care to share regrets you've had time letting go of?
I'll leave you with one of the many videos I shot while in Spain. For those of you expecting something close to my award-winning videos, let me issue this disclaimer. The videos were shot on my small Sony digital camera with 7.2 pixels, so they are not of the best quality. But they do the job. I'll share more stories from my adventures in Spain as I sift through pictures.
I nearly died in London.
OK, I may be exaggerating a bit, but then again, maybe not.
My near death experience occurred in the London Underground. I want to say it was on the Jubilee line, but that could be because it was my most frequently used Underground train route. But it's not important. Here's what is.
I'm sitting in the train across from my friend Lola and her friend when we get into a conversation about the recent death of the world's most hated man: Osama bin Laden. Lola asks my view on how he died and if he should have been taken into custody. Without hesistation I blurt out, 'Of course not. Why would we keep him alive under my tax-paying dollars?' The fact that my significantly small tax contributions do absolutely nothing for the economy has nothing to do with it. I was exercising my freedom of expression as an American, and like many Americans who watched the Twin Towers crumble before our eyes, still smarting from the audacity of bin Laden and his cohorts to take so many innocent lives.
Yeah right!
This older man--and I hate to profile him-- who looked and dressed like he could be from the Middle East, sitting next to me barely waits for the words to come tumbling out my mouth when he starts yelling at me to be careful what I say especially in the Underground. "I guess you won't care if someone brings out a gun and shoots you dead right here," he says after I tell him I don't care what anyone thinks about my opinion. He quickly issued a disclaimer saying he wasn't disagreeing with me, but felt obligated to let me know an Osama fanatic could be in the same train and shoot me in retaliation after overhearing my comments. Hmmm...
He got off at the next start, leaving me wondering how close I may have come to becoming a victim of a terrorist attack, even as Lola and her friend laughed him off. I joined them in laughing for a second, but the realization of how possible the scenario was dawned on me. London is known for its heavy reliance on the use of the Underground, which makes the subway system a prime target for terrorist activities. Throughout my vacation, and especially in my last week there, officers heavily manned all transportation portals in the wake of bin Laden's death. So it's quite possible for this unknown man's words to become prophetic. I don't know why anyone would bother with lil' ol' me, but I still cringe at my close brush with death.
My near death experience occurred in the London Underground. I want to say it was on the Jubilee line, but that could be because it was my most frequently used Underground train route. But it's not important. Here's what is.
I'm sitting in the train across from my friend Lola and her friend when we get into a conversation about the recent death of the world's most hated man: Osama bin Laden. Lola asks my view on how he died and if he should have been taken into custody. Without hesistation I blurt out, 'Of course not. Why would we keep him alive under my tax-paying dollars?' The fact that my significantly small tax contributions do absolutely nothing for the economy has nothing to do with it. I was exercising my freedom of expression as an American, and like many Americans who watched the Twin Towers crumble before our eyes, still smarting from the audacity of bin Laden and his cohorts to take so many innocent lives.
Yeah right!
This older man--and I hate to profile him-- who looked and dressed like he could be from the Middle East, sitting next to me barely waits for the words to come tumbling out my mouth when he starts yelling at me to be careful what I say especially in the Underground. "I guess you won't care if someone brings out a gun and shoots you dead right here," he says after I tell him I don't care what anyone thinks about my opinion. He quickly issued a disclaimer saying he wasn't disagreeing with me, but felt obligated to let me know an Osama fanatic could be in the same train and shoot me in retaliation after overhearing my comments. Hmmm...
He got off at the next start, leaving me wondering how close I may have come to becoming a victim of a terrorist attack, even as Lola and her friend laughed him off. I joined them in laughing for a second, but the realization of how possible the scenario was dawned on me. London is known for its heavy reliance on the use of the Underground, which makes the subway system a prime target for terrorist activities. Throughout my vacation, and especially in my last week there, officers heavily manned all transportation portals in the wake of bin Laden's death. So it's quite possible for this unknown man's words to become prophetic. I don't know why anyone would bother with lil' ol' me, but I still cringe at my close brush with death.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Ahhhh...gotta love London!
I remember a time when all I did was live and breathe sports. It was soon after I relocated to the U.S., and discovered the 24/7 sports channel that was ESPN. I'd watched some Eurosport at home through a subscription to a foreign cable provider, but after six years of boarding school with virtually no TV watching, I wasn't much of a TV person. Besides, many of the European sports (Formula One, cycling) didn't appeal to me.
Then of course I moved to the U.S. and it was NBA until 1:30 a.m., or college football until midnight. I even stayed up until 4 a.m. some days to study for exams because I couldn't manage to steal away from a game to focus enough to grasp anything. My family and friends thought I was crazy to turn down a movie or outing because a double-header NBA game on TNT was on.
Now fast forward some 10 years and I'm in London, where the English Premiership is still in action. And back at home, the NBA Playoffs is heating up with second round action. What am I doing? Having fun. I'm letting go a little bit, enough to enjoy what London has to offer. In the past, I'd never dream of stepping out while my EPL team, Arsenal, is playing (How could we end our goal of breaking a six-year title drought with a 3-1 loss to Stokes?) but yesterday I did just that. I headed to the O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) for a birthday dinner at a Thai restaurant.
I'll admit, the thought of digging into what's becoming my favorite indulgence, Thai food, was too good to pass up, and I was right. My braised lamb was incredible.
I missed out on the disappointing end to Phil Jackson's career--barring yet another comeback-- as the Lakers got swept by the Mavs, but I stole a few phone updates while eating and conversing with friends. I'm realizing more that there's more to life than sports (I can't believe I'm saying this) and I need to make time for friends who may not be as passionate as I am about sports. And with friends like these hosting me, it wasn't hard to.
If there's one thing London's good for, it's for reconnecting me with old friends from Nigeria. I used to think the Carribean community made up the majority of blacks in England. Not anymore. From the moment I stepped off the plane, the familiar tone of the Nigerian accent filled the air. I knew it wouldn't be long before I was running into someone from my past, who I haven't been in touch with. And then it happened. On my second day here. As my friends and I walked to the train station headed for a house party, I hear someone shout my friend Obehi's name from across the street. It was quite funny that neither one of us had our glasses on and failed to recognize who it was until she crossed the street.
A former schoolmate, Bolu, was making a grocery run and spotted us. Ahhhhh...gotta love London. I've randomly spotted two other old friends in a random manner. One happened to be sitting behind us at the packed church my friend Lola took me to yesterday. Now I relish going out for just about anything. Which is what I'm about to do now. With all my friends at work, I'm about to try the independent thing and head out for some groceries. Who knows who I may run into in the 400 or so meters between Lola's flat (British word for apartment) and the local ASDA store. And for that reason, I say there's nothing wrong in compromising a visual viewing of a game with a phone scoring update. Just as long as it's not the Heat game.
Signing out from London with love.
Then of course I moved to the U.S. and it was NBA until 1:30 a.m., or college football until midnight. I even stayed up until 4 a.m. some days to study for exams because I couldn't manage to steal away from a game to focus enough to grasp anything. My family and friends thought I was crazy to turn down a movie or outing because a double-header NBA game on TNT was on.
Now fast forward some 10 years and I'm in London, where the English Premiership is still in action. And back at home, the NBA Playoffs is heating up with second round action. What am I doing? Having fun. I'm letting go a little bit, enough to enjoy what London has to offer. In the past, I'd never dream of stepping out while my EPL team, Arsenal, is playing (How could we end our goal of breaking a six-year title drought with a 3-1 loss to Stokes?) but yesterday I did just that. I headed to the O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) for a birthday dinner at a Thai restaurant.
I'll admit, the thought of digging into what's becoming my favorite indulgence, Thai food, was too good to pass up, and I was right. My braised lamb was incredible.
I missed out on the disappointing end to Phil Jackson's career--barring yet another comeback-- as the Lakers got swept by the Mavs, but I stole a few phone updates while eating and conversing with friends. I'm realizing more that there's more to life than sports (I can't believe I'm saying this) and I need to make time for friends who may not be as passionate as I am about sports. And with friends like these hosting me, it wasn't hard to.
If there's one thing London's good for, it's for reconnecting me with old friends from Nigeria. I used to think the Carribean community made up the majority of blacks in England. Not anymore. From the moment I stepped off the plane, the familiar tone of the Nigerian accent filled the air. I knew it wouldn't be long before I was running into someone from my past, who I haven't been in touch with. And then it happened. On my second day here. As my friends and I walked to the train station headed for a house party, I hear someone shout my friend Obehi's name from across the street. It was quite funny that neither one of us had our glasses on and failed to recognize who it was until she crossed the street.
A former schoolmate, Bolu, was making a grocery run and spotted us. Ahhhhh...gotta love London. I've randomly spotted two other old friends in a random manner. One happened to be sitting behind us at the packed church my friend Lola took me to yesterday. Now I relish going out for just about anything. Which is what I'm about to do now. With all my friends at work, I'm about to try the independent thing and head out for some groceries. Who knows who I may run into in the 400 or so meters between Lola's flat (British word for apartment) and the local ASDA store. And for that reason, I say there's nothing wrong in compromising a visual viewing of a game with a phone scoring update. Just as long as it's not the Heat game.
Signing out from London with love.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Who says time change can stop me?
It's taken me a while to post an entry because I was going through the graduation exit phase. And right after I left Tallahassee, which was literally the day after I walked the stage, I began planning for my vacation trip.
Which brings me to where I am right now: the U.K. I arrived yesterday, and have been fighting jet lag; determined to get off it as soon as possible. But at this very moment, it seems to be serving a good purpose as I am up at 4:36 a.m. (EST) watching the intense playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. Didn't think I was going to let a little time difference (5 hours) stop me from enjoying the NBA playoffs did you? I also caught the Chicago Bulls-Atlanta Hawks boring match up, which threatened to send me to sleep early with its boring 48 minutes of action.
I am on my second day of a 17-day vacation in Europe where I'll be staying in London and taking short four-day trip to Barcelona, Spain. I am quite aware of how envious my family and friends are, but I think it's well deserved considering my many sleepless nights working on documentaries and news packages.
What I'm really excited about is the great weather London has right now. My first visit to the U.K. was in December 2006, which was quite cold and rainy. By 4 p.m. it was already dark, so I never got to do any of the tourist attractions. This time? Nothing's stopping me. I've already planned a day-long bus tour around London's main attractions and will share some of my pictures and videos with you all.
No I haven't forgotten this is a sports blog. But since some of you want to see more non-sports content here, I want to satisfy all of my audience; as few and loyal as you are. I'm hoping I'll get a chance to tour one or two soccer stadiums, and if the opportunity permits, I'll make a few sports comments like this one, my prediction for the NBA finals.
I never got a chance to say this with all the work I had on my plate. So let me say this now, I'm going with the Miami Heat as the 2011 NBA champions. Yes, there's some bias there as I'm a long-time Heat fan, but I also do think no one can beat this Heat team if everyone's dialed in. The Celtics old and injured legs can't keep up with the athleticism on the Heat's roster and the Bulls, though athletic, have an injured MVP for a leader and not as much experience in big-game moments as the Heat. The Lakers have lost home both home games to the Mavs and win or lose, I can't see the Mavs losing two home games to let the Lakers back in. I'm picking the Oklahoma Thunder over the Memphis Grizzlies even as the latter continue their upset campaign over much better regular season teams. I'm picking the more experienced Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavs over the talented, but younger Thunder team. Russell Westbrook's poor decision-making skills to take the offense into his hands instead of letting Kevin Durant manage it, will cost the team a first NBA finals.
So while I dash back to this feisty game with three minutes left, I make my bold prediction that the Heat would win the franchise's second championship over the Mavs in six games. Now how fitting would it be to get it at the expense of the same team the Heat beat five years ago?
Which brings me to where I am right now: the U.K. I arrived yesterday, and have been fighting jet lag; determined to get off it as soon as possible. But at this very moment, it seems to be serving a good purpose as I am up at 4:36 a.m. (EST) watching the intense playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks. Didn't think I was going to let a little time difference (5 hours) stop me from enjoying the NBA playoffs did you? I also caught the Chicago Bulls-Atlanta Hawks boring match up, which threatened to send me to sleep early with its boring 48 minutes of action.
I am on my second day of a 17-day vacation in Europe where I'll be staying in London and taking short four-day trip to Barcelona, Spain. I am quite aware of how envious my family and friends are, but I think it's well deserved considering my many sleepless nights working on documentaries and news packages.
What I'm really excited about is the great weather London has right now. My first visit to the U.K. was in December 2006, which was quite cold and rainy. By 4 p.m. it was already dark, so I never got to do any of the tourist attractions. This time? Nothing's stopping me. I've already planned a day-long bus tour around London's main attractions and will share some of my pictures and videos with you all.
No I haven't forgotten this is a sports blog. But since some of you want to see more non-sports content here, I want to satisfy all of my audience; as few and loyal as you are. I'm hoping I'll get a chance to tour one or two soccer stadiums, and if the opportunity permits, I'll make a few sports comments like this one, my prediction for the NBA finals.
I never got a chance to say this with all the work I had on my plate. So let me say this now, I'm going with the Miami Heat as the 2011 NBA champions. Yes, there's some bias there as I'm a long-time Heat fan, but I also do think no one can beat this Heat team if everyone's dialed in. The Celtics old and injured legs can't keep up with the athleticism on the Heat's roster and the Bulls, though athletic, have an injured MVP for a leader and not as much experience in big-game moments as the Heat. The Lakers have lost home both home games to the Mavs and win or lose, I can't see the Mavs losing two home games to let the Lakers back in. I'm picking the Oklahoma Thunder over the Memphis Grizzlies even as the latter continue their upset campaign over much better regular season teams. I'm picking the more experienced Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavs over the talented, but younger Thunder team. Russell Westbrook's poor decision-making skills to take the offense into his hands instead of letting Kevin Durant manage it, will cost the team a first NBA finals.
So while I dash back to this feisty game with three minutes left, I make my bold prediction that the Heat would win the franchise's second championship over the Mavs in six games. Now how fitting would it be to get it at the expense of the same team the Heat beat five years ago?
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