So I have returned to New Jersey. The journey back from Cleveland can best be described as hellish. My flight out of Cleveland Hopkins Airport was delayed, and I only just made it in time for my connecting flight at O'Hare Airport. It turns out the flight from O'Hare was delayed, so I needn't have worried. Upon arriving Philadelphia International Airport, I took a train to Philadelphia 30th Street Station, and then another train to Hammonton, before driving for about 30 minutes to my apartment. I arrived my apartment at ~01:30am on Sunday morning, the 25th April.
The good news is that I found an excellent apartment complex to live in. It's relatively inexpensive, and I think I will have a good time there. There is a tennis court and about five minutes away is a swimming pool, in the event that I decide to learn to swim.
In other news, I spoke with my former Plant Manager who wanted to know why I quit, and I explained gently and politely about the major reason I felt like it was time for me to leave. Overall, it was a very positive discussion.
I have to pack up my things from my current apartment and move off to Ohio this week. It's a daunting task, and I have to come up with a cohesive strategy. I think I'll tackle the books first - begin by packing up all the books, and then move on to other things such as the miscellaneous stuff I have spent my money on over the past year: the endless array of figurines (hour-glasses, snow globes from my relentless travels over the past 6 months, Newton's cradle, stuffed animals, an armadillo from Texas, a doll from Bulgaria, baubles from Louisiana, etc). It's a little insane, to be honest...
If I am MIA over the next few days, it's probably because I am packing and coordinating my relocation.
Ciao.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Greetings from Cleveland
Greetings from Cleveland
I write from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. I am returning to New Jersey after a 2-night stay in Ohio, apartment hunting. It was a truly interesting trip.
I was set up with a company known as CORT, a Berkshire Hathaway company, to show me around the areas around Solon Ohio and take me to apartments that I might like. There are two agents working on my relocation. One can be described as a House Agent, who sits behind the computer and googles apartments and amusements, and calls them to arrange tours for clients, showings for apartments, etc. The other, presumably the junior agent, is the Field Agent, who takes you on the tour, ferries you from one apartment to another.
I was set up with a female House Agent and a Male Field Agent. I met him bright and early on Friday morning at a CORT showroom (CORT also sells furtniture, so they have showrooms, and this Field Agent of mine is apparently also a furniture salesman for the very wealthy). The Field Agent, hereafter Agent X, is middle-aged, with a receding hairline and an unfortunate bald spot smack in the middle of his head. If he were a character in an Agatha Christie novel, she might describe him as nondescript. I prefer to use the word forgettable. He is the sort of man who is just designed to blend in, to fade into the background, to be forgotten. There is something truly remarkable about just how unremarkable he is. I tell you, he would make a great criminal because he looks harmless, utterly innocuous. In any case, I met Agent X at the door, and he showed me around the area, describing in his monotonous voice the many pleasant attractions of the Cleveland Area. It might feel like I am being a little unkind to this man, but once I got over the “chirpiness" of the man, I quickly realized that he is the epitome of a mid-Westerner: male, Caucasian, middle-aged, and sadly, boring.
Anyway, we eventually visited about 12 apartments, some more expensive than others, some better kept than others. The 3rd apartment building we visited was my favorite, and it was the one to which I would eventually return to process a lease application.
I understand that this is a long-term position, that I will be at this job for at least 2 years (at the absolute least), and I might very well be in this plant for up to 4 years. With this in mind, I really wanted a comfortable place. Despite the fact that the rent is a little higher than the jawdroppingly low prices I had glimpsed on the internet, I decided that it was safest to go with my heart and pick an apartment I really like. It’s a detached 1-bedroom apartment, with grey wooden panels for walls, and a modest garden by the pathway. Most importantly, it has a tennis court, so I can play tennis all-day, everyday if I want to. I have a feeling that Cleveland will be good to me. Unlike crime-ridden Philadelphia, it's a relatively peaceful city without the noise, filth and congestion of most large cities of a similar size. The airport, I must confess, is a disgrace of a dump - a small, run-down set of rooms without a decent restaurant. It needs an upgrade - sharpish.
Anyway, till tomorrow or after, take care.
I write from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. I am returning to New Jersey after a 2-night stay in Ohio, apartment hunting. It was a truly interesting trip.
I was set up with a company known as CORT, a Berkshire Hathaway company, to show me around the areas around Solon Ohio and take me to apartments that I might like. There are two agents working on my relocation. One can be described as a House Agent, who sits behind the computer and googles apartments and amusements, and calls them to arrange tours for clients, showings for apartments, etc. The other, presumably the junior agent, is the Field Agent, who takes you on the tour, ferries you from one apartment to another.
I was set up with a female House Agent and a Male Field Agent. I met him bright and early on Friday morning at a CORT showroom (CORT also sells furtniture, so they have showrooms, and this Field Agent of mine is apparently also a furniture salesman for the very wealthy). The Field Agent, hereafter Agent X, is middle-aged, with a receding hairline and an unfortunate bald spot smack in the middle of his head. If he were a character in an Agatha Christie novel, she might describe him as nondescript. I prefer to use the word forgettable. He is the sort of man who is just designed to blend in, to fade into the background, to be forgotten. There is something truly remarkable about just how unremarkable he is. I tell you, he would make a great criminal because he looks harmless, utterly innocuous. In any case, I met Agent X at the door, and he showed me around the area, describing in his monotonous voice the many pleasant attractions of the Cleveland Area. It might feel like I am being a little unkind to this man, but once I got over the “chirpiness" of the man, I quickly realized that he is the epitome of a mid-Westerner: male, Caucasian, middle-aged, and sadly, boring.
Anyway, we eventually visited about 12 apartments, some more expensive than others, some better kept than others. The 3rd apartment building we visited was my favorite, and it was the one to which I would eventually return to process a lease application.
I understand that this is a long-term position, that I will be at this job for at least 2 years (at the absolute least), and I might very well be in this plant for up to 4 years. With this in mind, I really wanted a comfortable place. Despite the fact that the rent is a little higher than the jawdroppingly low prices I had glimpsed on the internet, I decided that it was safest to go with my heart and pick an apartment I really like. It’s a detached 1-bedroom apartment, with grey wooden panels for walls, and a modest garden by the pathway. Most importantly, it has a tennis court, so I can play tennis all-day, everyday if I want to. I have a feeling that Cleveland will be good to me. Unlike crime-ridden Philadelphia, it's a relatively peaceful city without the noise, filth and congestion of most large cities of a similar size. The airport, I must confess, is a disgrace of a dump - a small, run-down set of rooms without a decent restaurant. It needs an upgrade - sharpish.
Anyway, till tomorrow or after, take care.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Fatigue
My move to Cleveland is confirmed. I'm quite excited about it. I've been dreaming of moving to this company for a while now. It's a company I grew up with (in Nigeria), and one whose name is synonymous with excellence worldwide. I hope I have a good time and learn a lot in this position.
I will miss the guys in my current plant, no doubt. I've really enjoyed working with them over the past year, and I've learned an eye-popping amount of stuff from them. I think the overwhelming majority of them have taken me under their wing and shown me a lot of the cooler aspects of their jobs. The best part of the job was getting to know the cooker and retort operators. The knowledge these men have about making soup is truly remarkable, and the good news is that the 3 people who worked with me in this area had a great attitude: respectful of one another and me, work well together, open minded, etc. I really liked working with them! And there were many other cool operators in my plant - strangely I got to know the guys who worked in the kitchens a lot. I say 'strangely' because when I first arrived, they were the most resistant to me, and now they are very receptive of me and of any ideas that I have. I really like that, and it has been a fun year! However, I am exhausted. I cannot decide whether the sheer physical toll of working such strange hours is what pushed me over the edge, or whether it's some of the lackluster salaried people I had to work with, or the absence of any training for me, but I must confess that by the 6th month, I had become absolutely exhausted with the plant and all the seemingly insurmountable bottlenecks we faced.
In any case, I'm about to move off to Cleveland, and I am incredibly excited about the opportunity. I will see my (soon-to-be former) boss tomorrow and start packing the day after that.
In other news, it appears Pope Benedict is in a bit of hot water because he apparently did not crack down on some priests who sexually abused young boys a few decades ago. Word on the street is that Pope Benedict was aware of the situation, objected to the abuse, but fearful of the disgrace a scandal would bring to the Catholic church, decided not to make a fuss. And that takes me rather nicely to a quote by Monique, the Oscar-winning actress of the movie Precious (which I haven't seen), who said as she received the Academy Award: "Sometimes you have to forgo doing what is popular in order to do what's right".
Benedict did not make the right decision. Instead he made the popular decision - he was afraid of an 'event', a confrontation, a scandal. Well, now he has to face the music.
There is shock and horror in the Catholic community about this, but for me - a long-time atheist and life-long cynic of anything to do with Christianity, none of it surprises me. You elect a Nazi for a pope, a man who looks as creepy as Hannibal Lecter, one who makes controversial comments about Islam within 3 years of becoming pope, and for some reason you expect him to be a saint? Give me a f*cking break!
I will miss the guys in my current plant, no doubt. I've really enjoyed working with them over the past year, and I've learned an eye-popping amount of stuff from them. I think the overwhelming majority of them have taken me under their wing and shown me a lot of the cooler aspects of their jobs. The best part of the job was getting to know the cooker and retort operators. The knowledge these men have about making soup is truly remarkable, and the good news is that the 3 people who worked with me in this area had a great attitude: respectful of one another and me, work well together, open minded, etc. I really liked working with them! And there were many other cool operators in my plant - strangely I got to know the guys who worked in the kitchens a lot. I say 'strangely' because when I first arrived, they were the most resistant to me, and now they are very receptive of me and of any ideas that I have. I really like that, and it has been a fun year! However, I am exhausted. I cannot decide whether the sheer physical toll of working such strange hours is what pushed me over the edge, or whether it's some of the lackluster salaried people I had to work with, or the absence of any training for me, but I must confess that by the 6th month, I had become absolutely exhausted with the plant and all the seemingly insurmountable bottlenecks we faced.
In any case, I'm about to move off to Cleveland, and I am incredibly excited about the opportunity. I will see my (soon-to-be former) boss tomorrow and start packing the day after that.
In other news, it appears Pope Benedict is in a bit of hot water because he apparently did not crack down on some priests who sexually abused young boys a few decades ago. Word on the street is that Pope Benedict was aware of the situation, objected to the abuse, but fearful of the disgrace a scandal would bring to the Catholic church, decided not to make a fuss. And that takes me rather nicely to a quote by Monique, the Oscar-winning actress of the movie Precious (which I haven't seen), who said as she received the Academy Award: "Sometimes you have to forgo doing what is popular in order to do what's right".
Benedict did not make the right decision. Instead he made the popular decision - he was afraid of an 'event', a confrontation, a scandal. Well, now he has to face the music.
There is shock and horror in the Catholic community about this, but for me - a long-time atheist and life-long cynic of anything to do with Christianity, none of it surprises me. You elect a Nazi for a pope, a man who looks as creepy as Hannibal Lecter, one who makes controversial comments about Islam within 3 years of becoming pope, and for some reason you expect him to be a saint? Give me a f*cking break!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Random Musings on a slow Monday morning
My plant shutdown is mercifully over.
I enjoyed the normal schedule for the 2 weeks - working during the day as opposed to the strange hours I worked in the past, lounging in the office, not getting any calls to the floor, not having to do much work, etc. But I missed the company. Yes, the operators who occasionally give me drama were really missed, and I'm happy I'll be seeing them again this evening. Delighted, actually.
In other matters, my job search continues in earnest. Well, it's proceeded beyond the stage of a mere job search, since I have 2 offers already. I already took one drug test (a "piss test"), and I will probably take the second one tomorrow morning, on Tuesday. Whatever the case, I really want to head out of this company. I call this plant the 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams', although I think 'Graveyard of Dreams' is more apt. The more pressing issue is that I have to find an apartment (hopefully around Cleveland Ohio), pack, settle in and report to work in 12 days. I don't know if it's feasible, but I am sure as hell going to give it a shot. I'm especially looking forward to moving to Cleveland. I made a list of things I want to do in Cleveland. It's still not complete yet, but I am really looking forward to doing some things I never really had a chance to do here in NJ or never had the time to complete:
1) Take a ride on a hot-air balloon: http://www.gentlebreeze.com/ This is one company I have in mind, although they are in Columbus, and I'll likely be in Cleveland. i'm really looking forward to doing this, and Inshallah, 2010 is the year I'll do it!
2) Go camping: I need to figure out who with, though...
3) Learn to swim
4) Learn to ride a bike (I know, I know... how can a 23 year old not know how to ride a bike?). Well, I had a horrific accident on my tricylce as a kid - resulting in lots of blood and a trip to the local ER. I still remember the scene today: nurses chasing me around the hospital as I ran, blood dripping behind me, trying to escape my god-father doctor (who has now passed, bless him). I had to receive stitches for the accident, and eventhough I tried to pick up riding again at Princeton with three really generous friend-instructors, it never really took off.
5) Horse-riding. As the daughter of a man who played Polo for about 30 years, it's really a big disgrace that I don't even know how to ride a horse.
6) Tennis lessons - Big fan of tennis, and I always have been!
7) Go on a cruise - I discussed this with a friend from Ghana, and she said she and another mutual friend already talked about it, so we may be on to something here.
8) Visit 5 US National Parks, starting with the one in Ohio (the Cuyahoga Valley National Park) - including California
9) Join a book club
10)Learn to shoot? (This one is a little crazy, but why the hell not?)
11) Go snorkeling? Perhaps visit Australia for the Australian Open?
12) Visit the famous stadia in Europe (Wembley, Bernabeu, Nou Camp, etc)
13) Visit Puerto Rico
14) Visit Canada - since Ohio is close to Canada, this is certainly do-able
15) Go hiking
16) Go skiing
17) Take a boating/lake trip
18) Go to a tennis match, perhaps the US Open?
19) Go to an Olympics tournament
20) Go to a World Cup tournament
21) Go to a rugby match
I certainly think these are modest and attainable goals. The hot-air balloon ride may sound a little risky, but it really isn't. What's life without a little va-va-voom? One should experience a lot of cool stuff while in your 20s. Do not wait until you're too ill to do these things before you actually do them. It is my hope that I complete items 1-10 or at least start these items (1-10) or develop concrete plans, except number 7 and perhaps 10, before the end of 2010. I'll see how this pans out.
In other matters, I cannot get this song out of my head. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6c8srkNfBI
The song is the soundtrack to a movie called 'Scorned', by Shirley Frimpong Manso. If you stick with me long enough, you'll find me waxing lyrical about Shirley. I believe she is unquestionably the most gifted and refreshing filmaker to come out of Anglophone West Africa in 20 years. And I don't offer such praise lightly - I really mean it. Absolutely brilliant woman.
Anyway, back to the song...
The song is titled 'Daa ke daa', and it's about a woman singing to her lover, asking him not to hurt her. Here are the lyrics:
Daa kԑ daa kԑ daa always and always and always
Kԑ oosumᴐ mi, kaa tse mi tsui If you love me, dont break my heart
Mԑ ni ji nᴐni ofeᴐ mi nԑ - What is it youre doing to me? Or what are you doing to me?
Obaa tse mi tsui You will break my heart
Obaa gbe mi You will kill me
It's in a Ghanaian language - I believe Ga or Twi, and one of my Ghanaian friends jokingly accused me of being more Ghanaian than many real Ghanaians, and I thought that was funny, even if absolutely untrue.
On movies, I watched the Sherlock Holmes movie directed by Madonna's ex-husband, Guy Ritchie. It starred Robert Downing Jr., who did the best he could with a nebulous plot and an insipid script. His side-kick, Watson, was played by a handsome actor (he's also famous, but I do not recall his name. Edit: His name is Jude Law). One critic said the director's goal in filmaking is "to make cool movies about cool guys with cool stuff". Having seen one and only one of Mr. Ritchie's movies, I tend not to disagree.
The movie played like a series of breathtaking snapshots, one fabulous picture after another, but with no adhesive to tie-up the snapshots; instead we end with a mish-mash movie, a patchwork movie, occasionally marked by great screenshots, but without any beating heart to sustain and fascinate the viewer. I'll give it 2 stars of 5, and that's because 1-star reviews often reek of bitterness, even where there is none.
As a long-time fan of Doyle's works, I think the plot was an insult on the great works of Mr. Conan D.
First, the relationship between Watson and Holmes was wide of the mark. A little-known detail is that the character of Gregory House in the TV show "House, M.D." was inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I do not know whether Wilson was also inspired by Watson - I doubt it, since Wilson and House seem to have an unresolved but undeniably potent sexual tension between them, while Holmes and Watson definitely did not! In any case, Holmes and Watson in Ritchie's latest offering were more House/Wilson than Holmes/Watson, or at least from my own interpretation of Doyle's rendering of Holmes/Watson. Ritchie's Holmes/Watson bicker like school girls over minutiae, a lot like House and Wilson do, and I am of the opinion that this is a classic case of the master imitating the mimic: the scriptwriter might have overdosed on House, MD right before he wrote that script because whether by choice or not, his characters end up more House/Wilson than Holmes/Watson. It's a disgrace. Holmes and Watson had their differences, but these never descended to the level of petty carping like I saw in the movie.
For one, Ritchie's Watson (like Dr. Wilson) is far more attractive than the original Watson - indeed he has some of the 'boyish good looks' Dr. Wilson is reputed to have had in the original House Script (I don't believe Robert Sean Leaonard looks 'boyish', but he also has his own ooh-la-la'). If memory serves, there is mention in the books of Sherlock's attractiveness, but I do not recall anything about Watson being a handsome man, and certainly not a distractingly handsome man like the actor who played him in this movie. In any case, the movie was nice mind-numbing action for a slow day, and I must admit that once I allowed myself to forget about the Holmesian theme, I enjoyed the movie.
And one more thing I noticed. Robert Downey Jr. has a nice big arse (baby got back!). That was quite funny to observe.
In other completely unrelated news, I understand that my Nigerian passport has expired. It expired almost a year ago, and now I have to renew it. I have to send a number of things to the Nigerian embassy, probably in DC, and get them to issue a renewal. I'm wary of dealing with the embassy, because I've heard terrible stories about them -- of seizing passports without any communications as to why, of very long delays that complete stuff up your travel plans, lost documents, etc. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
I enjoyed the normal schedule for the 2 weeks - working during the day as opposed to the strange hours I worked in the past, lounging in the office, not getting any calls to the floor, not having to do much work, etc. But I missed the company. Yes, the operators who occasionally give me drama were really missed, and I'm happy I'll be seeing them again this evening. Delighted, actually.
In other matters, my job search continues in earnest. Well, it's proceeded beyond the stage of a mere job search, since I have 2 offers already. I already took one drug test (a "piss test"), and I will probably take the second one tomorrow morning, on Tuesday. Whatever the case, I really want to head out of this company. I call this plant the 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams', although I think 'Graveyard of Dreams' is more apt. The more pressing issue is that I have to find an apartment (hopefully around Cleveland Ohio), pack, settle in and report to work in 12 days. I don't know if it's feasible, but I am sure as hell going to give it a shot. I'm especially looking forward to moving to Cleveland. I made a list of things I want to do in Cleveland. It's still not complete yet, but I am really looking forward to doing some things I never really had a chance to do here in NJ or never had the time to complete:
1) Take a ride on a hot-air balloon: http://www.gentlebreeze.com/ This is one company I have in mind, although they are in Columbus, and I'll likely be in Cleveland. i'm really looking forward to doing this, and Inshallah, 2010 is the year I'll do it!
2) Go camping: I need to figure out who with, though...
3) Learn to swim
4) Learn to ride a bike (I know, I know... how can a 23 year old not know how to ride a bike?). Well, I had a horrific accident on my tricylce as a kid - resulting in lots of blood and a trip to the local ER. I still remember the scene today: nurses chasing me around the hospital as I ran, blood dripping behind me, trying to escape my god-father doctor (who has now passed, bless him). I had to receive stitches for the accident, and eventhough I tried to pick up riding again at Princeton with three really generous friend-instructors, it never really took off.
5) Horse-riding. As the daughter of a man who played Polo for about 30 years, it's really a big disgrace that I don't even know how to ride a horse.
6) Tennis lessons - Big fan of tennis, and I always have been!
7) Go on a cruise - I discussed this with a friend from Ghana, and she said she and another mutual friend already talked about it, so we may be on to something here.
8) Visit 5 US National Parks, starting with the one in Ohio (the Cuyahoga Valley National Park) - including California
9) Join a book club
10)Learn to shoot? (This one is a little crazy, but why the hell not?)
11) Go snorkeling? Perhaps visit Australia for the Australian Open?
12) Visit the famous stadia in Europe (Wembley, Bernabeu, Nou Camp, etc)
13) Visit Puerto Rico
14) Visit Canada - since Ohio is close to Canada, this is certainly do-able
15) Go hiking
16) Go skiing
17) Take a boating/lake trip
18) Go to a tennis match, perhaps the US Open?
19) Go to an Olympics tournament
20) Go to a World Cup tournament
21) Go to a rugby match
I certainly think these are modest and attainable goals. The hot-air balloon ride may sound a little risky, but it really isn't. What's life without a little va-va-voom? One should experience a lot of cool stuff while in your 20s. Do not wait until you're too ill to do these things before you actually do them. It is my hope that I complete items 1-10 or at least start these items (1-10) or develop concrete plans, except number 7 and perhaps 10, before the end of 2010. I'll see how this pans out.
In other matters, I cannot get this song out of my head. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6c8srkNfBI
The song is the soundtrack to a movie called 'Scorned', by Shirley Frimpong Manso. If you stick with me long enough, you'll find me waxing lyrical about Shirley. I believe she is unquestionably the most gifted and refreshing filmaker to come out of Anglophone West Africa in 20 years. And I don't offer such praise lightly - I really mean it. Absolutely brilliant woman.
Anyway, back to the song...
The song is titled 'Daa ke daa', and it's about a woman singing to her lover, asking him not to hurt her. Here are the lyrics:
Daa kԑ daa kԑ daa always and always and always
Kԑ oosumᴐ mi, kaa tse mi tsui If you love me, dont break my heart
Mԑ ni ji nᴐni ofeᴐ mi nԑ - What is it youre doing to me? Or what are you doing to me?
Obaa tse mi tsui You will break my heart
Obaa gbe mi You will kill me
It's in a Ghanaian language - I believe Ga or Twi, and one of my Ghanaian friends jokingly accused me of being more Ghanaian than many real Ghanaians, and I thought that was funny, even if absolutely untrue.
On movies, I watched the Sherlock Holmes movie directed by Madonna's ex-husband, Guy Ritchie. It starred Robert Downing Jr., who did the best he could with a nebulous plot and an insipid script. His side-kick, Watson, was played by a handsome actor (he's also famous, but I do not recall his name. Edit: His name is Jude Law). One critic said the director's goal in filmaking is "to make cool movies about cool guys with cool stuff". Having seen one and only one of Mr. Ritchie's movies, I tend not to disagree.
The movie played like a series of breathtaking snapshots, one fabulous picture after another, but with no adhesive to tie-up the snapshots; instead we end with a mish-mash movie, a patchwork movie, occasionally marked by great screenshots, but without any beating heart to sustain and fascinate the viewer. I'll give it 2 stars of 5, and that's because 1-star reviews often reek of bitterness, even where there is none.
As a long-time fan of Doyle's works, I think the plot was an insult on the great works of Mr. Conan D.
First, the relationship between Watson and Holmes was wide of the mark. A little-known detail is that the character of Gregory House in the TV show "House, M.D." was inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I do not know whether Wilson was also inspired by Watson - I doubt it, since Wilson and House seem to have an unresolved but undeniably potent sexual tension between them, while Holmes and Watson definitely did not! In any case, Holmes and Watson in Ritchie's latest offering were more House/Wilson than Holmes/Watson, or at least from my own interpretation of Doyle's rendering of Holmes/Watson. Ritchie's Holmes/Watson bicker like school girls over minutiae, a lot like House and Wilson do, and I am of the opinion that this is a classic case of the master imitating the mimic: the scriptwriter might have overdosed on House, MD right before he wrote that script because whether by choice or not, his characters end up more House/Wilson than Holmes/Watson. It's a disgrace. Holmes and Watson had their differences, but these never descended to the level of petty carping like I saw in the movie.
For one, Ritchie's Watson (like Dr. Wilson) is far more attractive than the original Watson - indeed he has some of the 'boyish good looks' Dr. Wilson is reputed to have had in the original House Script (I don't believe Robert Sean Leaonard looks 'boyish', but he also has his own ooh-la-la'). If memory serves, there is mention in the books of Sherlock's attractiveness, but I do not recall anything about Watson being a handsome man, and certainly not a distractingly handsome man like the actor who played him in this movie. In any case, the movie was nice mind-numbing action for a slow day, and I must admit that once I allowed myself to forget about the Holmesian theme, I enjoyed the movie.
And one more thing I noticed. Robert Downey Jr. has a nice big arse (baby got back!). That was quite funny to observe.
In other completely unrelated news, I understand that my Nigerian passport has expired. It expired almost a year ago, and now I have to renew it. I have to send a number of things to the Nigerian embassy, probably in DC, and get them to issue a renewal. I'm wary of dealing with the embassy, because I've heard terrible stories about them -- of seizing passports without any communications as to why, of very long delays that complete stuff up your travel plans, lost documents, etc. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)