Thursday, March 15, 2007

Surrealism at work, Bollywoodian Shakespeare, remembering physics lessons and shameful treatment of Tsvangirai




Over the last few days I have increasingly felt as if I am living in a scene from The Emperor’s New Clothes. I attended a few meetings with very senior policy makers at work to examine new proposals about work related issues. I was appalled at the disconnect between some of what they are proposing and the realities on the ground so to speak. I suppose this is one of the challenges of being a policy maker- how do you keep in touch with the realities on the frontline and take these into account when making decisions. I’m sure they are many ways of doing this effectively but for whatever reason they seem not to be working with us at the moment. I’ll keep giving my views, but it looks like the bosses’ minds are made up…Oh well, we’ll just have to wait and see how it all pans out. I wonder who’ll be picking up the pieces though…

Two nights ago, a friend invited me to a play, a South Asian interpretation of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. As I had studied it at school in Nigeria for a literature class in secondary school, I was keen to go. It was quite interesting with over eight different languages spoken- including a lover’s conversation where the actor spoke in Hindi while his lover responded in English. It was quite interesting because even without subtitles it seemed to work- you got the essence of the scenes whether you understood what the actors were saying or not. I did wonder though if it wasn’t a bit stereotypical- the bright colours and Bollywood like chorus and dance routines. If you’re in London, it’s worth dropping by. It’s at the Roundhouse in Camden…http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/a-midsummer-night-s-dream-755

On the tube this morning, on my way to work, I was standing and reading a book and there was no space for me to hold on to. Which meant that when the train shuddered to a stop, I found myself struggling to keep from toppling over. I soon realized that by standing with my legs spread out, I was able to maintain a sense of balance- which then took me back to my early physics lessons and Mr O’s lessons about a low centre of gravity and how by lowering your centre of gravity, you reduce the chances of toppling over. Who would have thought that those long-ago lessons in a dusty Nigerian classroom would find such immediate application here?

Yesterday, the photographs of a bruised and battered Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition in Zimbabwe on the front cover of many newspapers shamed me- as it ought every African. No matter what your position on Zimbabwe is, this level of violence is simply unacceptable. It puts into perspective recent references to a police state in the UK and Nigeria by different commentators. I was so disturbed by the picture that for the first time I've actually worked out how to upload photos to my blog. The picture is from sudonline.sn. even though I haven't got it exactly in the right place....


6 comments:

Omodudu said...

Inyeresting

montego said...

hi - I am new to your blog and would just like to say how interesting and informative I am finding it. It is great because we have read many of the same books (purple hibiscus, cloth girl etc) and I find we share many of the same interests..I look forward to your forthcoming blogs and to having a look through your archives!

Unknown said...

im still loving this blog.

i was keen on going to see midsummer's dream at the newly opened roundhouse but i heard such damning reviews.

i didnt do english lit at school, my first experience of this play was at the regents park open air theathre a few years ago. it was summer and simply magical.

i also agree with the hypocrisy surrounding the candidates travelling for medical treatment, truly truly shameful. i also wonder how two presidential candidates can be so fragile in health and yet still want to come into power. baffling.

internationalhome said...

All company policy makers are all twats...i can say so cos i am not one!!
That said, I agree completely on the whole Zim issue, although i am just more annoyed/incredulous at robbies stupidity. Not only has he complicated his country's position, the AU are now put in the firing line as well...sigh!

racquelle-cutie said...

mugabe wicked oh i used 2 support his wih his campaign against white ppl but men his treatment towards his ppl is totally inhumane

uknaija said...

@montego- welcome to my world:-)
@chameleon-Loving yours too- good to know that there are other Naijas with a taste for the finer things :-)
@mtb sure enough-you soon will be a policy maker- if you keep showing them pepper with your skyhigh grades :-) and as for Robbie, words fail me...
@raquelle- your blog should provide an interesting perspective- not many Naija girls blogging from the Middle East