Movies 2019

Movies 2019

1- Bohemian Rhapsody- I saw this movie a month ago and  loved it so much that I went again and loved it again.

2- On the Basis of Sex- the story of Ruth Ginsberg and, of course, I loved it.

3-Carfnaum- a sad story about an undocumented kid living in poverty, in Beirut.  No one so many people risk everything to flee their country.

4- Mary Poppins- It was fun to watch this film.  I wonder if it has enough to stand up against the original.

5- If Beale Street Could Speak- I was a little disappointed with this film.  I love James Baldwin's writing but I didn't think this script was strong enough to carry the message.

6- The Wife- Glenn Close is up for an Oscar nomination.

7- Nominated Short Animation Films- I didn't really like any of these films.

8- Nominated Short Live Action Films- OMG, all of these five films were so full of violence and despair.

9- Nominated Short Documentary Films- it's a tough world out there and these films confirmed that.

10- STYX- a story about a solo sailor who encounters a refugee boat sinking in the ocean and no one will come out to rescue them.

11- Apollo 11- i remember the first landing on the moon like it was yesterday and watching this moment on the big screen brought back all that damn pride.

12- The Best of Enemies- we really aren't making enough progress in our battle for civil rights for everyone.

13- WC Film Festival- I watched 14 short films and loved most of them.

14- Wild Nights With Emily- what a funny, quirky movie about Emily Dickinson.

15- Tolkien- I thought I was seeing a movie about Tolstory so it took me at least 10 minutes in to the film to realize I had the wrong writer in mind.

16- Amazing Grace- Arthea Franklin's documentary about recording her first Gospel album.  I thought the movie was a bit boring.

17- All is True- the story of Shakespeare and his sad, personal life.  The movie was well done but dreary.

18- Rocket Man- Elton John's sorry.  I feel lucky to be me and not him.

19- Pavarotti- Magnificent

20- Man with a Gun- awful

21- Maiden- I loved this movie about the first all-female team to compete in the sailing race around the world.

22- The Last Black Man in San Francisco- it was quirky and surreal and I think I missed out on some of the symbolisms.

23- Marianne and Leonard- a documentary about Leonard Cohen.

24- Echos in the Canyon- the story fo the music scene in California in the mid-1960's.

25- Nanette- This was a Nextflix film about a comedian's efforts to come out of the closet.  the film started out slow but ended with a punch.  I loved it.

26 The Farewell- I wanted to love this movie but I just liked it. The writer did a great job of explaining the differences between East and West cultures.  She nailed it when she described Westerners as individuals in all of our thinking.

27- After The Wedding- This movie didnt do it for me.  There were too many characters, all of whom were shallow.  The story was too bizarre and I want vested in anyone's self interest.

28- Death Zone- 20 sherpas climbed the Death Zone of Everset and removed dead bodies and most of the debris from this area. t hey were inspiring.

29- Where'd You Go, Bernadette?- it was quirky and unbelievable but fun and funny.  I liked it.  I read the book and thought both were equally good.

30- Luce- I didn't really like this movie.

31- Peanut Butter Falcon-  I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED THIS MOVIE.

32- Brittany Runs A Marathon- This is the type of movie you watch at home on a friday night when you just want something mindless.

33- Downton Abbey- I didn't watch the series so I wasn't as drawn to this movie as other.  But it was will done.

34- The Secret Life of Pets- this cartoon was shown at my apartment and I liked it more than I thought I would.

35- Judy- the dreadful, sad story of Judy Garland.  She was so admired and so unhappy.

36- The Sound of My Voice- Linda Rodstaast's story.  This woman had lots of talent and nerve to buck the music industry.

37- Where is My Roy Cohn- the story of one of Trump's ruthless, despicable lawyers. This movie was yet another glimpse in to the corrupt world of Donald Trump.

38- Goldfinch- I liked this movie.  I didn't read the book and so I think some things were probably more clear in the book.  But it was entertaining.

39- Harriet- the story of Harriet Tubman.  She was a woman of courage.

40- The Irishman-  the ugly story of the Mafia.

41- No Fear- a long, Bengali movie that had too much violence against women.

42- The Chaperone- two women who struggle to find happiness.

More Thoughts on Bangladesh

More Thoughts on Bangladesh

November 24- December 31, 2019

ULAB

World Academy for the Future of Women

Dhaka, Bangladesh

I am here for five weeks to teach global leadership skills to women at the University of Liberal Arts-Bangladesh.  Here are some of my random observations:

• I can not get over how Westernized my students are.  They know our culture and slang and foul language. They are more worldly than I had imagined.
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• There is call to prayer on a regular basis.  When the call is announced during my teaching, we stop what we are doing and remain silent.  Some of the students leave the room and go to the prayer room.  Others just pray in their seats.  Some of the women cover their hears with a scarf.  I sit silently in my chair and wait for the nod from one of the students to continue.
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• There is a favored drink of yogurt, honey and cumin.  it is an acquired taste.  It's bitter, spicy and has to be sipped. it's not refreshing. 
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• My students are hungry to take on the world and make change for the better. I am excited to see this enthusiasm.
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• I handed out menstrual cups to my students and they turned in to feminist pro-menstrual, anti-menstrual shaming Nazis right before my eyes.  I loved it.
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• I have never seen so many rickshaws as I have seen here.  It is the primary mode of transportation.  The drivers all look so damn skinny and weak.  But they must be strong as hell.
• Many people have drivers for their cars.  these drivers sit all day and wait for their employers to finish their business.  I asked my one student what his driver does all day while he waits.  "He plays cards." That must be a boring existence.
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• I went to a Bengali movie last night.  It was 2 1/2 hours and had an intermission after an hour. This is the preferred time for movie goers to run out and get food.  The movie was based on a true story of a woman who spent her life being beaten first by her older brother and then by her husband.  But then she prevailed, got divorced from her husband and her awful mother-n-law and she married her true love.  This is the story of millions of women around the world.  The story must be unique because she finally married for love.
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• I went to the food store and found foods I have never seen before.  I wonder how many varieties of food there are in this world.  
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• I have never seen so many live chickens just waiting to be slaughtered on demand. I wonder what is the chicken population at this exact moment.  And I wonder how many chickens we would need if we all ate a more plant based diet.
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• My students asked me if they could address me just by my first name, "Bridget".  Or should they call me "Bridget ma'am".  I told them I prefer "Your Royal Highness" and they seemed to like this idea.
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• There are lots of beggars on the street.  They beg to everyone.  But it appears to me as if they perk up when they see me, an old, white woman.  There appears to be a glimmer of hope in their eyes.  And so they abandoned the person they just approached and they make a quick movement in my direction.
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• On Fridays, hundreds of men gather together for the noon prayer.  the attendance is so high that they spill out in the streets and stop traffic and everyone waits patiently for the prayer to end.
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• I just heard from another former student of mine from Philadelphia whose parents will be here in two weeks and we may get together.  that would be fun.
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• December 16 is national Victory Day.  Everything is closed for the day.  And there are a few fireworks in the distance.
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• I can have a driver take me home from classes but I have started to enjoy walking home in the evening.  I like the hustle and bustle of the streets. The roads are packed with rickshaws and buses.  And the sidewalks are equally backed with pedestrians. I like to watch everyone hurry to their destinations. 
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•  I've reduced most of my diet to dumplings.  It's the easiest food for me to eat and I know they've been cooked enough to be safe to eat.
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• It doesn't appear as if many of my students date and many of the females tell me that they do not want to get married.

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A Call to Prayer

A Call to Prayer

ULAB- University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh

December 2019

Dhaka, Bangladesh

There is call to prayer on a regular basis, throughout the city.  A powerful voice chants over a faulty PA system. When the call is announced during my teaching, we stop what we are doing and remain silent.  Some of the students leave the room and go to the prayer room.  Others just pray in their seats.  Some of the women cover their hears with a scarf.  I sit silently in my chair and wait for the nod from one of the students who tell me that the prayer is now over and  to continue.

Give Me Money

Give Me Money

Dhaka, Bangladesh

December 2019

“Give me some money”.  She followed me for several minutes and I worried that she would get lost as she looked to be about 4 years old.  She pulls on my sleeve and looked at me with those huge brown eyes but then she disappeared.  I was relieved to see her the next day so she must have made it home.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish

Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta, GA

June 2019

I was mesmerized by this beautiful being.  I stood in front of it and took one picture after another.  Each photo showed just a hair's difference.  I could have stood there all day and taken photos but my three male companions were losing interested and I just couldn't shake them from me.  And so, after five minutes, I had no other choice but to surrender to their pressure and say goodbye to this ocean goddess.

MN in April

Minnesota

April 2018

Damn, it was cold and slippery and I couldn't see anything I wanted to see because the whole state shut down with all of this ice and snow.  I was the only one on the road fro miles.

Mississippi

Mississippi

October 2019
State #48

The Mighty Mississippi River

Oct 1- TU- PA/LA/MS- I was up early and on my way to Mississippi, state #48. I flew in to New Orleans and drove north to the Mississippi Sand hill Crane Refugee.  the website indicated that there were plenty of cranes on the refugee.  They failed to mention that the refugee is so large that the 200 cranes are well hidden from us.  So I saw nothing.  I then drove up to the red Bluff, the Grand Canyon of the Mississippi and it was beautiful.  I made my way to Jackson and spent the night there.  And for the record, there are no craft breweries in Jackson, Mississippi.  I couldn't believe it.

Oct 2- W- MS- I spent the morning at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. This was a spectacular museum.  I could have spent the entire day there as there was so much to see.  But after two hours, I was drained and couldn't take any more. I spent the early evening at the Lazy Magnolia Brewery, the  oldest brewery in Mississippi.  I had a southern pecan ale and a few IPAs.


Oct 3- TH- MS/LA- I left Mississippi after a late breakfast and headed south to New Orleans.  I walked through the French Quarters for a bit.  Then I took a river cruise down the Mississippi River.  I have wanted to do this for many years and the moment was a bit anti-climatic. Afterwords, I made my way to the NOLA Brewery for a flight and dinner.  I returned the rented car, made my way to my hotel and called it a day.  Now I have to plan for my next two and final state trips: Hawaii and North Dakota.

Tennessee

Tennessee

1997

2010

2018

1997- I went to visit Judy Landry, my former colleague.  She retired and had just moved to the area and gave me the obligatory offer to "come visit us some time".  And so I did.  And I think she enjoyed the visit.  We went to Nashville and the Grand Old 'Opry and listen to great music.

2010- I was taking a road trip with my nephew and our first stop was in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I was impressed with the music.  My twelve year old nephew was impressed with Johnny Cash's car.

2018- I  traveled with two women in 2013, through Northern Europe.  We spent three weeks together and enjoyed each other's company. and became friends through Facebook.  So we had a five year reunion in Gaitinburg in October. We went to a whiskey sisterly, a brewery, gift shops, fudge shops etc.  But the most fun was our show at Dolly Parton's theatre.  It was Americana at it's finest.

Kite Flying

Kite Flying

New Jersey

August 2017

I bought this kite for my great niece so she could fly it on the beach.  I thought she would love. She was 6 and I loved kites at that age.  But she really wasn't that interested in this activity.  But her dad and I loved it.

Flower Faces

 Flower Faces

Longwood Gardens

Longwood, PA

September 2019

I love, love, love when I see faces in a flower.  And when I do, I take too many photos of the same flower and then it becomes too difficult to delete my multiple copies of the same, damn photo.  This face reminds me of an old grandfather.

Market Day- Haiti

Market Day

Haiti

Summer 2014

My career defined me. My whole identity was wrapped around work.  I identified myself by my job.  I wonder what it must be like to sell a singular type of fruit for a living.  Getting paid and eating are strong motivators for all of us.  But is there pride in this work.  Or is working filled with drudgery  or resignation?

Images of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Canada 

October,2019 

Cape Breton

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Random Conversations

Random Conversations

• My nephew told me that women not understand that you can never make too much bacon for breakfast.

• My high school assistant principal told me that I would spend too much of my time in the Principal's office if I didn't change my behavior.  Well, I didn't change my behavior but I did serve as a high school principal for 20 years.

• A friend told me she is have a sage ceremony in her friends new house because the previous owner's wife committed suicide in their bedroom.

• In a discussion with a friend, she told me that if I wanted to commit suicide, I should only consider shooting myself as that is the most effective way to die.  She said the other methods were all too risky and I may not be successful.

• My brother told me that he felt as if he was an only child from a large family.  My mother had 6 of us in 7 years and then 11 years later, she had Brian so mostly he grew up alone.

• When my nephew was 13, he told me that his friends, whom I never met, voted me the coolest adult they knew because I played my music loud.

• My sister had to pick me up from the emergency room.  She told me, "Today is the first day that you become a burden to me for the rest of your life."

• I was walking the boardwalk today with my Chinese friend. She had just finished spending a week at the United Nations conference. We met a stranger and I mentioned that my friend was at the UN this week. "My apologies to you for Trump's bad behavior," the stranger offered.

• My friend, Betty, told me, "You are the first rich person I have ever liked. I don't usually like rich people."

• There is a crowd at the entrance at the Women's rest room. Several of us just got off the plane and we had to go. A woman was trying to make her way out of the restroom but she was graciously letting us in. I gestured that she go as I had a backpack on me and I didn't want to bump her. She was younger than me, large and loud. "Mam', you got first," she insisted, "you hasta tinkle."

• My uncle retired as a Colonel in the Marines.  He served three tours of duty.  He recently told me about the first three soldiers he lost.  It was his first day of combat in 1965.  He teared up as he remembered them and told me, "When I die, I want to be bred in Arlington Cemetery and I want to be buried as close to them as possible."

• My friend told me that I am the most interesting person he has ever met.  I told him he had to get out more often and meet more people.

• When I turned 21, my father told me, "always buy the first pitcher of beer in the bar.  No one remembers who bought the rest of the beer all night.  But everyone remembers who bought the first round."

• when I would complain about my aches and pains, my mother would tell me, "If it isn't your ass, it's your elbow."

• My niece was teaching English in South Korea.  I visited her classroom.  One of her young students climbed up on my lab, looked intently at my face and announced to the class, "Teacher, she has sky blue eyes, just like you."

• My friend who has declared bankruptcy told me I was fragile because I saved money.

• My neighbor told me that she lives up to 125% of her earnings because everyone else does so why shouldn't she.

• My friend, from Berlin, Germany, was 18 when the Berlin Wall came down.  Her father asked her where was the once place in the world she wanted to visit.  She told him that she had always dreamt of going to London.  "Pack your bags right now and pack as if you are never come back.  Go to London now."  And she did and to her relief, she was able to return home.

• The first time I was going to China to teach, my German friend told me, "remember to mind your own business, don't talk politics with everyone and only discuss important issues with people you trust and in private.  Learn to just shut up and you will be fine."

• As I was heading to Bangladesh for five weeks, a native of Bangladesh told be to "prepare for a visit of despair and disappointment."

• My niece told her mother and me that when she grows up she "wants breast like Bridget's not like yours."  She got my breast and now she's sorry.

• My eye doctor told me that I was in the early stages of cataracts.  She said I shouldn't have a problem until I'm in my mid-70's.  I told her I wasn't going to worry about them as I would probably be died by then.  She didn't think that was funny.

Eating Lunch

Eating Lunch

Haiti

July 2014

I was working in Haiti at a summer camp. We served lunch every day to 100 kids in the neighborhood.  We served the same damn thing: rice, beans and sardines.  Everyone loved this meal but I hated it. I wouldn't eat it.  And I felt guilty every day because everyone was so grateful for this merger meal and I was repulsed by it.

Georgia

Georgia

2016- Atlanta- I was going to a CARE conference and realized that my cousin lives in Atlanta.  I hadn't seen her since 2000 so I thought I'd connect with her to see if she was interested.  She asked me to come out a few days before the conference and I did and it was great to connect with her.  We had such good time that her husband told me I could come back any time.

2017- Atlanta/ Plains- I went to visit Jimmy Carter in March.  I just bought a new car and now had reliable transportation.  I had read that he was going to give lectures at his church for the next 5 Sundays and I knew I had to get there ASAP as the crowds would just grow and grow with each week.  It was Wednesday when I made the decision and on Friday, I was on my way to Atlanta to meet up with my cousin who was going to join me.  And we got to see him.


2019- Atlanta- I took two of my nephews on this road trip to see my aunt and uncle.  My uncle is slipping away to Alzheimer's.  So we decided to go see them.  For the boys, it was to meet them.  For me, it is probably my goodbye.  We went to the Civil Rights Museum, the Aquarium, the Natural Science Museum and other sites.  The boys had never spent this much time in a city and moments poked at their comfort.  One nephew hopes to make it to the Olympics and coincidentally, we ran into Dee Dee Trotter, a two time Gold Medalist in the 2012 Olympics.  It was great fun to meet her.


Unfinished Business:

• I have to visit a local brewery.
• I want to go to MLK's church