Mid this year got my Sinopharm injections against COVID19 DONE! One in May and the booster shot in June; and I thought I was done with it, at least for this year. But then, with the new omicron variant as well as other variants and the original coronavirus still going on; yesterday went and got my latest jab. But since the country has run out of all the other vaccines, the only vaccine currently avaible here is the Pfizer vaccine. Thus my new booster I got on Monday afternoon, was the Pfizer.
Post vaccine you are asked to wait for 20 minutes, but the heat under the afternoon Sri Lankan sun is unbearable. A slight breeze came, but lasted only seconds, so after about 10 minutes I left. Nobody there to check if the vaccinated are alright and none of the vaccinated bother to stay on. The side effects of the afternoon sun could be far worse than the Pfizer vaccine itself. Yet the side effects of the Pfizer are much stronger than the Sinopharm (Sinopharm is an inactivated vaccine, unlike Pfizer, an mRNA vaccine am not familiar with, it’s a new technology; which was my only issue of getting a 3rd dose by Pfizer). My left arm feels rock solid, wonder if my blood’s clotting excessively (have had polycythemia and just manage to get my red bloods cells count back to normal), a never ending massive throbbing headache, which I have to deal with 24/7 as it is, has worsened; added to which last night I felt so dizzy outside after dinner, I quickly squatted down touched ground with my hands, so as to balance myself with my fingers spread out and toes. But, rather than just the effects of the vaccine, it could be due to the constant stress I go through residing in an inhumanly stupid society that won’t let me rest even when sick, just adding to the side effects of the new booster. But I guess my immune system is battling away the unknown vaccine in my body. It’s a war in there. This year has truly been dreadful, both physically and emotionally. So tired.
None the less, as heavy headed and down as I feel, I am glad I managed to get my 3rd dose as well, just before Christmas. It’s half an hour to midnight! So Good Night…
Back in October 2013, I did a blog post to celebrate Joan Fontaine‘s 96th Birthday. Sadly she passed away today, in December, that same year. Star of my favourite Hitchcock Film (Alfred Hitchcock being my all time favourite film director) which was Hitchcock’s very 1st venture into Hollywood, REBECCA (1940); based on novelist, Daphne Du Maurier‘s much celebrated novel.
Harnaaz Sandhu, from the state of Punjab, in India, has won the coveted crown at the 70th Miss Universe pageant, which was held on 12th December 2021. She is the third Indian beauty to win the Miss Universe title, after Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta; but the first Indian in this Century.
Don’t recall the last time I actually watched a Beauty pageant, must be over two decades ago, back in the 1990’s. By the noughties these pageants started to get redundant, and there were way too many of those, it lost it’s appeal for me. Growing up as kids in the 80’s, Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific were the three leading beauty contests we had heard of, along with the Mrs World pageant for married women, which really wasn’t up to the high standards and sophistication of the above mentioned pageants (of course it was relatively new at the time, as it only started in 1984 and the 1st married woman to win it was from Sri Lanka, Rosy Senanayake, thus we loved it for that reason alone). Back in the early 90’s there was some Miss Tourism held in Sri Lanka, which so was cheap, handled so crudely, that it was the first beauty contest that I found so appalling. To my memory, it was the first time an International Beauty contest was held in this country; and until then I had never heard of a Miss Tourism pageant. The most disappointing Miss World I saw was Miss World 1996 (held during my Freshman year at Delhi University), which was held in Bangalore, in the South Indian State of Karnataka. Was so looking forward to it, as it was being hosted in India, even though this prestigious pageant was nowhere near where I was residing. Yet, there was a reason why this International beauty pageant, organised that year by the Big B’s (Amitabh Bachchan’s) ABCL (entertainment company) could not be up to it’s International standards, with bathing suits round being hilariously way over dressed (looked quite ridiculous). The contest was plagued with controversies from the start and many a backwards, narrow minded, societies protested against holding this events; yet amidst all these issues at least the pageant was held and the show went on without any issues. Yet it was quite poorly organised. Although I didn’t watch beauty shows that regularly back then either, I did, whenever I got a chance to do so. But by the noughties I started to lose interest and found quite a few, really cheap. Added to which there was a lot of talk in Sri Lanka about the reason why Indian beauty queens were winning pageants was not because they deserved to but because the west was trying to sell their beauty products in India. What nonsense???? I never bought that, but I found a lot of these contests coming off looking cheap. Not the main three mentioned above, but in general. Good example is all the unnecessary hullabaloo over the Mrs Sri Lanka contest earlier this year (in April 2021) with that horrible woman, Caroline Jurie (back then the reigning Mrs World 2020) snatching the crown off Pushpika De Silva (the newly crowned Mrs Sri Lanka), just because apparently she was a divorced woman. She also had help to dethrone the new Mrs Sri Lanka. Disgusting behaviour for grown adults. Says a lot about the immaturity and the level of education, in participants at modern beauty pageants. Yet it’s thanks to the foolishness of Jurie & co. that made me check out clips from that show. Otherwise wasn’t even aware of that show. But Miss Universe 2021 was different. Grace, elegance and a class apart, from whatever clips I saw. Beauty and brains won.
When I heard that an Indian Beauty Queen had won, it interested me enough to check out clips online, and when I saw Harnaaz Sandhu’s final answer, she pauses a bit before answering and gave such beautiful sharp reply that took me back to Year1994! Sushmita Sen‘s big win! Although not as eloquent in pronunciation as Sen & Dutta; Sandhu gave a brilliant speech with confidence that showcased her intellect. When asked what advise she’d give young women of today on how to deal with modern day pressures, after thinking for a few seconds she replied,”…… know that you are unique and that’s what makes you beautiful…. let’s talk about more important things that’s happening worldwide. This is what you need to understand. Come out, speak for yourselves because you are the leader of your life, you are the voice of your own. I believed in myself and that’s why I am standing here today”. I was bewitched by her, taking me back to 94’, with an 18 year old me watching an 18 year old Sushmita Sen being crowned Miss Universe 1994.
Chandigarh (capital of the State of Punjab) based, Harnaaz Sandhu is the third Indian, the second Punjaban (as Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000, is a Punjabi as well; though Sen is Bengali, and was based in the Indian Capital of New Delhi at the time) and the very first Sikh/Jat Sikh (though all Sikhs are from Punjab, not all Punjabis are Sikh; Dutta is Hindu) to be crowned Miss Universe.
Wishing Miss Universe 2021, all the best in her tenure. Do feel sorry for Andrea Meza (Miss Universe 2020) though. Due to COVID19, last year’s pageant got delayed and thus was held in May this year. Therefor making Meza’s rein, the shortest in the history of this beauty pageant. None the less, a great win for Harnaaz Sandhu, especially with that quick thinking smart answer of hers. Wishing the reigning Miss Universe the best to continue her journey of beauty with a purpose.
Yesterday, the 30th of November 2021; was a momentous day for this year, especially for people with African roots. The beautiful Caribbean island of Barbados finally became a Republic, exactly 55 years, to the day, after gaining their independence from the British, on 30th November 1966.
Dame Sandra Mason replaced Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. She was nominated by Prime Minister Mia Mottley; as well as the Opposition Leader, Joseph Atherley; to become the very first President of Barbados. The New Republic of Barbados conferred upon Barbadian singer Rihanna, the honour of National Hero of Barbados. Rihanna stunned her fans in a one-off-shoulder golden orange evening dress. Congratulations to the Republic of Barbados and singer/entertainer, Rihanna.
As this Caribbean country celebrated this monumental event; north across the Atlantic, France was honouring the late Josephine Baker by inducting a symbolic casket in her name into the Panthéon in Paris. She is the 1st American, 1st Black Woman, 1st Entertainer and only the 6th woman to enter this prestigious resting place for French heroes.
Famed Cabaret dancer, Josephine Baker, was born in 1906, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Her mother was adopted as a child in 1886 by two former slaves. Baker never knew her father, but she is assumed to be a daughter of a white man. She started dancing in her preteens in Chorus lines and local night clubs. In 1925, aged 19, she sailed to Paris, France; and that’s where she gained recognition as an artiste. She was among of the first coloured Americans to move to France, where she was appreciated not just for her body, but as a dancer. Soon she became one of the most famous personalities worldwide in the roaring 20’s, adopted Paris as her home and today she’s an iconic symbol of the Jazz Age. Dubbed Black Venus, she later became a spy during World War II and aided the French Resistance. Baker supported the American Civil Rights Movement during the 1950’s. In 1963, she took part in the March on Washington alongside of Martin Luther King Jr. and was the only official female speaker at the event.
Baker has been awarded the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation, the Croix de Guerre by the French military, and named a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur by General Charles de Gaulle. Now inducting Josephine Baker into the Panthéon, is another great honour bestowed upon her by the French government. Well done, President Emmanuel Macron.
No Nonsense with Nuwan Sen 