Online musings

Everbody has a thing-to-do list but most people have a very important list. It was once known as a "things to do before you die " list until a successful film came out in 2007. It was written by Justin Zackham and directed by Rob Reiner. The film that starred Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman renamed that very important list. The bucket list comes from the phrase, "to kick the bucket" meaning to die. I have a wishlist of things I want to do and experience while I am still alive. There are popular things to do such as swimming with dolphins and skydiving. Other entries in people's bucket lists are seeing natural phenomenon such as the Northern Lights and the Grand Canyon. Some people have crazy things to do on their list such as skinny dipping and joining the Mile High Club but I will give those a miss. People make bucket lists so that they can live life to the full and tell their grandkids about their adventures - that they have been there and done that. Life ...

Hi guys. Just giving you an update on my writing. You may remember the last time when I said that I would write a new series about a French investigative journalist called Vendome. Well I have recently finished my first script in the series, titled Vendome and the Assassin . This is my first foray into crime and being a fan of the genre I thought that I should have a go myself. However I am not sure that I have done the suspense and mystery enough justice even though I think that the finished product is not bad. What I am extremely proud of is my incorporation of the French language in the script. This proves to me that I have not lost touch with the language. However I will read more French in order to keep up my knowledge and proficiency of the language. What's more I befriended a French woman earlier this year so I now have the opportunity to speak French on an almost regular basis. I will write four more scripts featuring Vendome and then I will start a spin-off blog series abo...

I recently went to the cinema to watch a film by the American director, Ava DuVernay. The title of the film was Selma . The movie was about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his tireless campaign to allow African-American citizens the right to vote. A series of historic protest marches which took place in the U.S. state of Alabama, starting from Selma and ending in Montgomery, featured in the film. I found Selma thought-provoking and very interesting as it presented the struggle of the African-American people to have the law changed in order that they could vote in their own home country. The film showed Oprah Winfrey's character, Annie Lee Cooper, trying to register to vote but she was turned down and so she wasn't able to vote. Throughout the film King tries to persuade President Lyndon Johnson to introduce new legislation to enable the black citizens to vote. Johnson is seen as reluctant but he maintains that he is busy with more important projects. King does not give up h...

There are certain things in this world that are not fair. Some people have plenty whereas others have none. That is why charities are set up in order to help people less fortunate than ourselves. There are some generous souls who are willing to donate their well earned cash to charity. There are others who do fundraising activities such as running or sky-diving so that they can raise money for charity. There are also some people who are willing to take it a step further and volunteer. People volunteer in order to develop their skills, learn new ones or gain work experience. However there are some selfless ones who have nothing to gain by volunteering but are egged on by a genuine desire to help others. Volunteering is about working without getting paid. It is about working without getting anything in return. The contentment of volunteers comes from knowing that they have made a difference and that they have made the less fortunate better off. Volunteers help children and v...

Helen Keller once said that "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." In order to achieve success or satisfaction it is necessary to take various risks. In all aspects of our life we have to risk something. After all, as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Like many people, I have ambitions. I would like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or take up scuba diving but I know that in doing so there is a possibility that something will go horribly wrong and will threaten my life. However I think that it is worth risking my life as long as I have achieved a great feat or do something that I may enjoy. I would also like to start my own business by launching an online translation company but I wonder if it will become successful. If it is a failure then I will have risked my wealth for nothing. This is because in order to start a business you have to invest a lot of your money into it. If the business is a success then you will earn a lot of money. Because starting you...

Graceland is a studio album by Paul Simon, one half of the American music duo, Simon and Garfunkel. It was released in 1986. It also happens to be in my top ten list of favourite albums so it is up there with Michael Jackson's Thriller. The first time I came across it was when I visited my uncle in London. He was listening to it a few days before his eldest daughter was born. I remember my eight-year-old self dancing around the room as soon as the music from the album played. I didn't know the name of the album then but I knew I liked it and wanted to get it for myself. Graceland is heavily influenced by South African musicians such as Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu. Moreover the album featured South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well as other South African artists and groups. No surprise there as most of the tracks from the album were recorded in South Africa. The album received critical acclaim and was a commercial success. It was a hit worldwide. In 1987 the al...

I sometimes wonder when it's the best time to settle down and start a family. Is it in your 20s, your 30s our maybe even your 40s? My father started his own family in his 40s and it looks like I will be following suit, that is if I ever get one. A number of people my age already have families of their own. They are my colleagues, my uni friends and even my school friends. Sometimes I envy them. In a few years my younger sister may have a family. Hell, even two of my younger cousins have families already! I hear that people who were born in the mid to late 80s and even early 90s are starting to have children too. So why haven't I got a wife and some children? As far as I am concerned I am not ready to be a family man. Whether I will ever be ready remains to be seen but I can't help but wonder if I will be better off alone. There will be less stress and less hassle. Moreover it will be a lot cheaper. However if I am lucky enough to have a successful business in the future, ...