Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Londres et Fela



I have to confess to being the biggest dark-haired blonde ever, I only found out a few weeks ago that "Londres" was French for London. I just always thought that it was some people's funkified way of referring to the city, sort of like "Gidi" is "Lagos", you get me.

I don't go around pretending like I know stuff when I don't, if I'm not sure about something I ask, questions never fail me. So I was talking to a friend recently and he said he had to go down to Londres and I was like "hang on", I've never understood why people call London that name. After picking himself off the floor from laughter, he told me it was the French name.

I'm renowned for being a professional ITK ("I too know", for people that didn't grow up in Nigeria), so he was seriously shocked that I had no idea. I'm never ashamed by not knowing something, I look at it as an opportunity to learn and build on your knowledge, so I'll ask before I shame myself in public. Unlike the poor child on twitter who once tweeted the infamous words "I'm finna tired", the embarrassment that ensued could easily have been avoided if she just holla'd at someone and asked "guy, what does finna mean abeg?".

Simple.

Aaanyhoozle, had to dash down to Londres (yay, I know what it means) for the weekend and it was pretty tame, didn't really get up to much.

Had plans for Sunday which fell through, so decided to go have lunch with my awesome twin AdaobiJoke.





We went to Busaba, a Thai restaurant near Selfridges that does the most heavenly Chilli Prawn rice and Jasmine smoothie ever. First time I went there a few months ago that was what I ordered and I like to play it safe, if I like something I stick to it, so I ordered the same thing again.

Usually I'm not one to like a smoothie with Jasmine in it, I was recently riled for saying Rose Macaroons taste like pot-pourri (which they do by the way). Anyway its safe to say I have a very unadventurous palate, but I was pleasantly surprised by the smoothie, dee-licious.





On the spur of the moment AJ suggested we go see Fela. I was hella excited, you have no idea how excited I was. The day the show came to Lagos, I was so green-eyed of everybody going that I stayed off twitter so I wouldn't see any references to it. We made some calls, a show was available for that night...and booyah! I was a happy bunny.

Since it was still afternoon and the show wasn't till 7.30pm, I decided to go visit Mia of Miafarradaily, truth be told I was more interested in spotting her neighbours, one or some I'm not sure, somebody around there sha is on the show Made in Chelsea, had to determine if they were all as daft as they're portrayed on the show.

Hermes for the Homeless and Loboutins for the Blind will always be a classic.


To preserve Madame Mia's anonymity, only her feet (and mine) are pictured here. This picture reminds me of Cow & Chicken's parents, we only ever saw their feet and the mammy in Tom & Jerry too. Kartoon konnekshun, curiouser and curiouser.


Mia lives in a gorge Chelsea basement flat, everything is white and cream and bleached wood and she has a captains chest in the middle of the room

*sigh*

You'll be pleased to learn that all is however not peachy, her room is in an Ikea stranglehold, only redeemed by the towering shoeboxes everywhere. We had Bellini's and crisps and gossiped.

Good times







From there it was on to FELA!











Peeped this babe with really cute tribal accessories, I especially liked the necklace, it looked like a Masai design, been hunting for one of those for a minute. Plus she had a massive fro which she styled in a faux-hawk, it didn't come out too well in the picture, but it was inspiring to look at, so big


The cast and crew did a fantastic job. I thought it might be over hyped because every single person I know that had seen it all said it was great, so I was seriously wary going to see it, but I LOVED it. The actor did so well, considering he wasn't even Nigerian and had probably never heard of Fela till he auditioned for the show. He was so into the Fela-ness of it that I told AJ that I sincerely hoped this guy would be normal after the show. I've heard where actors got sp immersed into whoever they were playing that they became unable to break character and revert to normal.

My favourite bit was Funmilayo Ransome Kuti's solo/duet with Femi where they did Palaver, I'm a passive Fela fan, I'll hear Afrobeat and dance but I won't go out of my way to seek out his music but the way she did Palaver that day was so awesome. I need to find out if there's a soundtrack to this show because I have to have it. One freaky moment was when Funmilayo's picture moved, this was because I thought it was a painting, next thing I know someone sung this haunting melody and the face in the picture turned its head, I was seriously spooked. Some Hogwarts type shit.

Then the girl that played Fela's revolutionary American love interest, fabulousness!

All round, I would give it a solid 8, an 8 because there was a part that dragged a bit, when Fela went to the Orisha (sp?) so he could speak to his dead mum. I thought it went on for a bit too long but all in all a great show. If you haven't seen it, its definitely worth a trip to the theatre.




The photo of Funmilayo that moved is in the top right-hand corner, I repeat, some Hogwarts type shit.


The next morning I started heading back to my zones, met up with my boo Erenma at St. Pancras station for breakfast, after which we parted (such sweet sorrow). Her, to catch a train back to Nottingham and me, to Paddington to catch the Heathrow Express to the airport.







This two pictures both portray our skills in picture taking. You see how the photo of Remz is clear and sharp and all that good stuff. Then observe my photo, blurry, out of focus.......

I rest my case

It was nwanne'm MissJayla's birthday on Monday, a lot of the pictures are NSFW, seeing as we were all seriously inebriated but the ones that are a bit respectable will go up tomorrow.

The best of times.

Love and light xxx


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12 comments

  1. woop woop! nice post! lwkm @ "finna to tired" very sad sha, it doesn't hurt to ask questions geesh. Glad you saw the show, it was seriously awesome and amazing dancing!....and yea that picture moving part scared me too!

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  2. Fun! Funmilayo Ransome Kuti's portrait was a fave part for me, but me I like spooky stuff.

    And I see London weather is acting like it has small sense, since you're wearing a short skirt & tins :oP

    Next time you've got some free time/going to London, check out some West End shows. With that student discount, you rule the world! ;)

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  3. LOL @ Ikea stranglehold! So true though...it needs some more ME I think. But interior decoration is not my strongest point, so we'll see how that goes!

    I've never understood why people are embarrassed to ask questions, I do all the time. It's a misplaced pride thing.....which as they say always comes before a fall.

    Re Fela, I agree..the second half draaaagged. I'm surprised that they haven't edited a bit as the shows been running for a while now and everyone complains about
    that.....

    Great post as always...love the shoes *wink* bisous!xx

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  4. Nice post. By the way, what does 'finna' mean?

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  5. i like your turban..

    Wish i had seen Fela when i had the chance:-(

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  6. love the turban.

    some people don't like asking questions cos they get embarrassed. To their kind i say. 'google is ur friend"

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  7. ...'Rose macaroons are not for me'. Simples. Nice post, lovely outfit.

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  8. I missed FELA! by a whisker in NY last year. Now I wish I hadn't overlooked it.

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  9. chai,this blog na for ajibutters oo....i be serious kpoko,but i dey gbadun your style,e correct well well

    i throway salute...

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  10. hahaha why you gotta do me like that. now i look like a real grubbie! meanwhile at your lightbulb moment with 'Londres' lwtmp!!!!

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  11. I feel like slapping myself when i remember how i dragged and dragged till i missed seeing Fela in NY last year.

    Am i the only one who reads Pancras as Pancreas? Just me? Ok.

    And Busaba is LIFE!!!!!

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  12. I don't mean to discredit your writing but I usually just skip thru it and dwell much longer on ur face. It's a much better sight for me, though your writing paints London more vividly than Jefferey Archer.

    But I am very curious as to what that blunder - finna to tired - would have meant. Can you attempt to explain to me?

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