Mystikal is Back!

If that name doesn't immediately ring a bell, and neither do the phrases "Shake it fast, show me watchu workin' wit" or "Danger! Get on the flo'! The n*gga richea! Sang it!", then you are too young for life and don't even bother reading the rest of this. For everyone else...

"This performance is dedicated to all the playa-hatin' teachers that won't let a lil' gangsta shine."



Mystikal. Sir. That unmistakable voice. I don't know what happened to you, where you went, or how you and  Mark Ronson got linked up. But I'm glad you're back and I applaud you. This beats the pants off of "Uptown Funk" for me any day. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming back and showing the world that you still got it.

That is all.

DOPE Dozing (Saturday 6/27)

It's our last full day, and my feet are STILL swollen. I mean I've gone into full-on Miss Piggy mode: my ankles have disappeared!  I've never had cankles a day in my life,  but I have them now. I haven't been too worried since my feet and ankles haven't been hurting, but my left ankle and top of  my left foot are particularly stiff. which I'm sure isn't a good sign. Ma's already decided for me that we're going to get it checked out first thing after she picks me up from the airport tomorrow, so I just need to get through today.

With Nay off work again, the plan was to make it a lunch and a movie kind of day. Our first stop was a Chili's in Hiram, second stop was Movies 278 to see the new movie DOPE and take advantage of their special matinee ticket price of $5.75. Stuffing ourselves and then trying to sit down for a movie immediately afterward probably wasn't the best idea, but just like with standing in line for the club late last night, we decided to take our chances.

And chile, everybody but Neesh dozed on and off through that movie! Not necessarily because it was boring (although it was a lot slower and less funny than advertised), but because we were so stuffed from Chili's and tired from not sleeping much last night. Since this was my first time going to the movies since January, I'd intended on writing about DOPE for my "Infrequent Filmgoer" series, but there's really no point since my eyes didn't stay open consistently enough for me to tell you much about it. Look, if you like movies about teen/high school angst or finding yourself, and enjoy stories about being young, being black, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to get out of the hood, or not fitting in (or all of the above) then this movie is for you. View it once just to see what all the hype is about. Meh, or not, whatever you want to do. I will give them credit for the impressive blending of 90's styling in contemporary times (since people have been recycling fashion trends from the 90s lately). And they demonstrate the boggling extent to which almost anything can be accomplished or facilitated via technology these days That's about all I can say. This Blavity article explains my sentiments about the film more clearly than I care to.

After that, the rest of  today consisted of just chilling back at the house and watching Nay paint something for her co-ed fraternity while playing old episodes of Wild N' Out. Just a note that Nay is not merely a jack of all trades, but a superhero. She slays hair, she's gone to culinary school, she paints, she's a full-time college student, she works at an amusement park, she has her own apartment apart from her dad's house....she. does. it. all. #Blackgirlmagic is she.

Welp, there you have it. Our week in Georgia has come to an end. And despite all my griping this week, I can't really call it a bust because I learned quite a lot about my family that I might not have if we all hadn't agreed to spend this time together in such close quarters. Don't get me wrong, I'll be glad to be get out of here tomorrow and return to Michigan where no drama awaits me. But I also feel bad that things got as

ugly as they did, between Cousins A and B particularly. This has the potential to be either an opportunity for relationships to mend and flourish, or the beginning of a decades-long grudge. Either way it's up to them, and time will tell. For now all I can say is that I don't regret taking this trip at all. Thanks to Nay and Chris for their prosperity. And thanks to whoever's out there for reading. Goodnight, and Peace out.

More photos from the trip:

Girl Cousins in Georgia photos

Mo' drama, and the Other Side of the Rainbow (Friday 6/26)

...The saga of Cousins A and B continues. 

Today I decided to get over myself and focus on keeping peace amongst my cousins. Because what's more important than me getting my tourist kicks, is everyone leaving with a modicum of sanity at the end of this trip. So yes, keeping things calm and peaceful was the goal today.

But somebody just refused to let that happen. I guess if she was going to be miserable, she wanted everyone else to be too.

Long story short, venomously petty and hateful things were said and done that shouldn't have been said or done. As a result, everyone who hadn't been directly involved in the original debacle yesterday was now implicated in some way, and we were all varying degrees of upset about it. And so while the rest of us were enjoying the Civil Rights Museum and the LGBT celebration/rally that blossomed outside it this afternoon, Cousin B sat at the house probably stewing, sulking, and talking bad about us to her folks. But we had a wonderful time regardless.

The museum (or as it's known by its official title, The Center for Civil and Human Rights) happens to share a lawn with the Coca-Cola Museum and the Georgia Aquarium, so not only did we get great views of their facades but we also got to take in spectacular views of downtown Atlanta. Inside, the museum is divided into three floors. The first focuses on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, which was hard for me to get through. Though the exhibit was organized and presented exceptionally well, walking through it was triggering for me, especially since I was still emotional and slightly angry about the above-mentioned hateful pettiness that'd transpired earlier today. I turned a corner and saw the display dedicated to the four little girls who died in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing and almost broke down in tears because it reminded me of the Charleston 9. From there I walked up a set of stairs to a section about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination and memorial, and as I watched footage of his funeral I couldn't help but think of Reverend and Senator Clementa Pinckney's funeral, which was held today. Part of me was proud to have an entire floor of a museum dedicated to my people's fight for equality and justice (and to have so many visitors there to see it), but another part of me hurt because I felt everything so deeply.

The second floor is dedicated to human rights issues, offenders, and defenders around the world. After traversing the floor I looked out the window to admire the city outside, and what do I  look down and see? On the tail of the Supreme Court's announcement in favor of marriage equality for same-sex couples today, an LGBT celebration/rally was forming! So many people, donned in their various rainbow gear, were gathered together hugging, smiling, chilling, conversing, giving interviews, and holding their flags, signs and heads high. It was one if the most beautiful and powerful acts I've ever witnessed, and I feel honored to have witnessed the day that #lovewon.

Last but not least, the bottom floor of the museum holds a special gallery containing various documents and personal items that offer some insight into the private life of MLK. This exhibit was organized with the help of Morehouse College, Dr. King's alma mater. This exhibit is also the only part of the museum in which visitors are prohibited from taking pictures; everywhere else you can take as many as you want without flash.

From the museum we went to pick Nay up from work, and she took over the wheel. She'd been craving beef patties from this roadside Jamaican food truck called Scotch Bonnet all day, so we stopped by there on the way to the house. But they were all out, so we went to Popeye's instead since Neesh was craving chicken. Even though we have Popeye's in Michigan, this was my very first time trying it so I was kind of excited! I got the shrimp po'boy with green beans and sweet tea. It hit the spot and wasn't too shabby for fast food (they used a real baguette!). On our ride from Popeye's to the house I got cajoled into telling all the girls what I've learned about them this week. (Since I live so far away and am not around them all the time, they thought that what's transpired may have soured my view of them. I told them my opinion hasn't shifted in some majorly negative way, but rather that I've learned a lot about of all them. Then they asked me to go down the line and share what I'd learned.) For example, I learned that my cousin Jess, though the baby of the group, is a lot more mature and self-aware than I'd pegged her for. And Trish, who has a temper and a tendency to clap back, also has a kind heart  that's helped her endeavor to be more patient and considerate even during times when she might want to fight. And Neesh, well. Neesh may seem like a goofball on the outside, but she's actually got a lot of depth to her and has acquired a lot of wisdom due to the trials she's been through. Oh, and Nay? Nay lucked out because by the time it was her turn, we were almost pulling up to the house. Plus she didn't ask, so I didn't tell.

We mulled around the house for a few hours before heading back out at around 11:20pm to go to club called The Mansion. We were all tired but we'd heard one of their radio ads saying it was free for everyone all night, so we decided to take out chances. People's emotional wounds were still raw and two of us were justifiably "over it", so they stayed in the car while the other four of us got in the "free line".

And let me tell you, this free line was the longest line of life. We stood as the line literally inched along for two hours, from just after midnight to just after 2am, witnessing all manner of chaos, stuntin', and ratchetry. We finally got in and you know what they say, you get what you pay for. Curiosity was the main thing that'd kept us patient while we'd waited outside, and while it's a nice place on the inside, with the same loud, aggressive, danceable but nearly indecipherable trap music ("I want a smart girrrl wid a dumb bootay...") that's ever so popular down here in the A, this club just wasn't that great. At Opera, people came to dance, drink, and have a great time. At Mansion, people just came to post up and be seen. And that, my dear, is the definition of a waste. We stood looking around and taking in the place for all of 15 minutes (maybe 20 tops) before we left. I only took one photo on my cell phone. I'd had my camera with me but couldn't use it because one of the female security guards confiscated my the battery before letting me through. Thankfully she was pleasant enough when I went back to retrieve it from her. All in all I don't regret going to Mansion. I already know clubbing isn't my thing; I was just going to experience the scene and see what this club was like. Another ultimate people-watching opportunity, you could call it. And though it didn't last as long and wasn't as entertaining as Opera, let me tell you. I saw some thangs (yes, "thangs"!) that I'll never forget.

We were all back at the house by around 3am. Before going to bed I spent some time talking Cousin A down from the ledge of wanting to rehash the beef with Cousin B and potentially start a World War 4. Lord, tomorrow's our last day. Please let us all make it through in one piece.

More photos from the trip:

Girl Cousins in Georgia photos

Egg in a Hole

I took a stab at this on the fly while I was stressed out in Georgia, and it was a mess. I used two slices of bread (not really necessary), toasted them before putting them in the pan (mistake number one), which led me to overestimate the cooking time and burn the bread and scorch the pan while waiting for the egg to cook sufficiently (mistake number two).

So today I decided to make it again, but do it right this time. As non-conventional as it looks, "Egg in a Hole" (or "Egg in a Basket"), is incredibly easy and simple to make. You can use any fixings you like, but at the bottom line all you need is a slice of bread, a tablespoon of butter, and an egg. Heat the skillet and place the butter in it so it can melt all the way. In the meantime, take any round surface, place it on the bread, and cut around its edge with a knife. (I imagine that if you had specially shaped cookie-cutters at your disposal, using one of those would make the hole look super cute! But I don't have any so I just used the bottom of a plastic solo cup.)

Once the pan has heated sufficiently, place the slice of bread on it and flip it so it can toast a little bit on both sides. When it's to your satisfaction, crack the egg into the hole and let it cook. A minute or so into cooking I covered the pan for a couple minutes just to help the top of the egg cook a little more, but that won't be altogether necessary depending on how you want the consistency of your egg to turn out. Once the egg has cooked to your satisfaction, plate it, and done! Use the round cut-out for sopping up the yolk while you eat. Like I said, this breakfast/brunch/anytime dish is simple and easy. Go ahead and give it a try!

 Check out pics of other foodventures here:

Peace, Love, and Food (Every Now and Then)

Nuthin' much/Fight Night (Thursday 6/25)

Another day with not much to write about, but I'll give y'all the rundown anyway. FYI my feet and ankles are still swollen from when we first arrived (sneakers starting to feel snug...), but that's neither here nor there.

Nay had to go back to work today, and after we dropped her off we went to that same blasted Arbor Place Mall we went to on Monday so my cousins could return a few things. I bought a couple pairs of earrings, had a really good Oh Kale! smoothie from a shop named Freshëns, and called Ma to rant while waiting for my cousins to be ready to go. While I was on the phone with her I told her that I would try to harken back to what I'd originally said before embarking on this trip. And that was that while this trip probably wouldn't be my ideal travel experience, and though I'd  probably have moments where I was annoyed and bored and wanted to go home (as I do with all group trips)−having the opportunity to spend this time with my cousins whom I haven't seen since New Year's Day would make it all worth it. But meh.... now I'm not so sure. I can be bored at home. I can be bored, AND get paid, AND not have to spend all day sitting on my behind, going to basic places, and listening to chicks arguing about inconsequential mess at. home.

Needless to say, when we returned to the house I had to go on yet another walk to blow off some steam. As soon as my kin sat down for the NBA draft to see where Louisville native D'Angelo Russell would be heading, I was out the door. At least it wasn't 95 degrees and no stray canines tried to follow me this time. And I got to admire quite a few stunningly interesting trees along the way, so that was nice.

Oh and speaking of arguing! Some time after I'd returned from my walk, we were all still sitting around the TV when two of my cousins got into a shouting match. Calling each other out their names, throwing low blows left and right, and all of it over literally nothing. (Well of course, when people fight over nothing there's always something real that lies beneath the nothing. But all I know is that I don't care and I'm not in it.) Chris stepped in and tried to regulate, but by then Cousin A had stomped off into another room, Cousin B had walked out of the house, and it was over.  Disrespecting a host's house and fighting with family is something I don't do, and I just hope these two girls can find a way to get along. Relatives aren't supposed to treat each other like that, and it creates such a stressful environment for everyone when all folks had wanted to do in the first place was have a good time together.

BUT! Just like yesterday, there was a bright spot to today. A couple of things were brought up during the fight that I hadn't had any clue about, and fortunately for me my cousin Neesh was willing to open up and discuss them with me as we went to pick Nay up from work late at night. Thanks to her I'm more aware of some struggles my cousins have been going through. I understand now that my cousins may not have the money or morale to explore like I would normally like to, but they put their lives on hold and contributed their presence to this trip, and that speaks volumes about their character and commitment to family.

Welp. All this negative energy makes me want to tune into Another Round and do something with my hands, so off to stress cleaning the kitchen I go! Forget 'Iyanla, Fix My Life'. We need 'Jesus, Fix Our Family'. Quite a few people in this house are going to bed with sharp tongues, high tempers, sore egos and wounded hearts tonight. Prayers up.

More photos from the trip:

Girl Cousins in Georgia photos

Seriously tho, whatwedoin? (Wednesday 6/24)

Today started with the usual lolligagging and Nay doing another client's hair. Going for a picnic at Piedmont Park was on the table, but then my cousins got distracted making "Sausage" and booty-shaking videos to post on social media, so that idea went out the window. And by that point I was so bored and exasperated that I went for a walk around Nay's neighborhood,  in 95 degree heat, having no idea where I was going, just to get out of the house and avoid snapping at someone

When I returned, our resident experts in taking their time still weren't ready to leave and remained such until we finally left the house around 4pm, and by then all we had time to do was take everybody to Zaxby's for some fried chicken and head to Midtown again to pick Chris up from work. The plan was to go bowling afterward,  until we got to Chris's job around 6pm and Nay called to inform us that bowling was out and we'd be going to the movies instead. Then on the way from his job they called again to say that the movies would cut too close into our time to get ready for the club, so they were just going to head to the nail salon instead. I was seething inside. Really? Another wasted day?! Another one?! It's bad enough that instead of taking advantage of what Atlanta has to offer, we've been doing extremely basic stuff that can be done anywhere.  But we can't even come up with a plan and stick to it? Chris drove us past the Georgia Dome, the New Atlanta Stadium construction site and Sweetwater Creek State Park on the way back to the house, with me stewing all the way.

I know I had resigned myself to this and was only slightly miffed yesterday, but now I'm  mad. Like I was literally on the phone with my mom and stepmom (respectively) strategizing on how I could either take one of the cars and just go explore parts of the city on my own, or arrange to move my flight up and go home early to escape this boredom. Because I highly doubt I'll be able to take any more of this. I'd known that my cousins and I have different personalities and interests,  but I never would've imagined that some of them would be this uninspired to do anything worthwhile or create meaningful experiences during the daytime. How am I the oldest one of the group and I'm the only one who wants to GO OUT, EXPLORE, AND DO THINGS? Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.  

So once back at the house I spent the evening brooding and stress cooking. I hadn't intended on cooking at all this week because I'm on vacation and this isn't my kitchen to mess up, but cooking is such a stress reliever for me that I just had to do something. So I made a sloppy first attempt at Egg-in-a-Hole toast, also known as egg in a basket. I probably didn't make it properly (in fact, I know I didn't because I blackened the bottom slice of toast that I used and almost permanently scorched the pan on the gas stove). But it was edible, and the house didn't burn down, and I cleaned up everything when I was finished, so all's well that ends well. Just a little burnt smell lingering in the air for a bit. I'll have to make a proper go at Egg-in-a-Hole toast when I return to Michigan.

Tonight we set our sights on a different club, this time an 18+ one called Opera Nightclub that everyone had been to before except for me and Kay. We got a lesson in the power of social media before even stepping foot inside. Apparently you had to repost their #operawednesdays flyer on social media and present proof of the repost at the door in order to enter for free, otherwise you'd have to pay $20 to get in. Never in my life had I imagined that an Instagram repost would be worth $20. Of course we did what we needed to do to get in free but Lawdhammercy, how times have changed.

 But moving on! Having never been to a real dance club before, I was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect, but Opera turned out to be a pretty nice establishment! Either they remodeled an old opera house, or they just did an impeccable job replicating one when they built the place, I couldn't tell. But the decor was quite unique. Ever seen dance/stripper poles standing in the middle of an opera house? Yeah, neither have I until now! Once I
got a feel for the place I thought I'd twerk a li'l bit along with my cousins, but I just wasn't feeling it. It was a fascinating experience enough just to observe everyone in the club and take in the atmosphere. I thought I could move; you know, keep it under wraps and spring it on people when necessary. But mannn, these girls down here in Atlanta are masters at what they do. Masters, I tell you! My cousins already had me beat, but these Atlanta girls really put me to shame. I'd thought the notion was silly before, but now I'm convinced: twerking is indeed an athletic feat and an art form. I had fun just being a bystander, watching everyone else (cousins included) bop, pop, grind, dutty wine, shake, stomp, and sway the night away with the most swagger I've ever seen in one place. It. was. magnificent!

 

We ended the night with a Taco Bell run, and I finished off the remaining Smirnoff Ice Screwdriver at the house.The day didn't start off so great for me personally, but I think we ended up having a really great night as a group.

More photos from the trip:

Girl Cousins in Georgia photos

ドラマ (Dorama) Time! 9

Coincidentally, both of the dramas that I was most interested in watching this spring broadcast season focus on men trying their hardest to figure out who they are, while also striving to remake themselves in the process. In one show, a man has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to increase his mental capacities and become the man he's always wanted to be. In the other, a man loses his memory and fights everyday to remember who he used to be and redeem himself of his old selfish and trifling ways.

アルジャーノンに花束を(Algernon ni Hanataba wo/Flowers for Algernon) - TBS/2015

This is one of many adaptations that have been produced around the world since the original short story was first written by Daniel Keyes in 1958, and  then published as a novel in 1966. The main storyline  features a young mentally challenged man who receives an operation that "makes hims smart" and "just like everyone else" thanks to experimentation conducted on a lab rat named Algernon. In this version, title character Sakuto (played heartthrob idol Yamashita Tomohisa) works for a flower delivery company that usually employs wayward youth. During a delivery, Sakuto crosses paths with neurological researcher Haruka (Kuriyama Chiaki), who works as part of a lab team that has been using a rat named Algernon to test the brain capacity-enhancing drug ALG. Sakuto is selected as the first human guinea pig recipient of this drug, which eventually transforms him into a genius and also allows him to develop the emotional capacities of an adult his age. Sakuto and Haruka gradually fall in love, and Sakuto is able to mend things with his friends after at first spurning them for being beneath his intellectual level. However, just when everything seems to be going well, Algernon starts acting erratic and his mental prowess regresses to its original state, causing concern and dread for Sakuto about if/when the same thing will  happen to him.

This drama obviously goes straight for "the feels", as it emphasizes how impressionable, lonely, desperate, and taken-advantage-of Sakuto is during the first half of the show's run before his transformation. Plus, rather than commissioning an original theme song from a current artist in the Japanese music industry, they chose Bette Midler's "The Rose", intermittently playing parts of her recording and a new orchestral version of the song during each episode to swell the heart strings and make you cry. They almost, just almost, got me at the end of episode 2, but I stayed strong. I could take or leave Yamashita Tomohisa's acting post-transformation, but I do appreciate his playing a mentally challenged man with dignity. It was also great to see him and the versatile Kubota Masataka reunited after co-starring in 2013's 'SUMMER NUDE'. All in all, 'Algernon ni Hanataba wo' isn't spectacular. It holds out that carrot for a hopeful ending a little too long, then snatches it away, while still rushing during the final episode to tie too many loose ends together. But it stays pretty true to the original story, and for that alone it's worth watching.


I'M HOME - TV Asahi/2015

This is my second Kimura Takuya drama, but for this one I was genuinely interested in the show's concept rather than swayed by the hype. In it, Hisashi (Takuya) is a salaryman who cannot remember the past 5 years of his life following a serious accident at a work site. The two recurring symbolic items that help trigger his memory are  masks and keys. Hisashi holds onto a ring of keys that he's had since before the accident, which he uses to unlock (literally) doors to various rooms, buildings, and other spaces that play a role in his past and help him unlock (figuratively) his memory. Masks, for their part, have to do with the fact that upon returning home from the hospital, he can no longer recognize the faces of his wife and young son because they're both wearing masks. (Only he can see these masks, of course.) So each episode basically shows him delving deeper into his past and uncovering secrets not only about himself but also the people closest to him.

What I find most compelling about this drama is that while the lost memory premise is not new, Hisashi goes to great lengths to right his wrongs after having been quite the dastardly specimen. Like, he's genuinely and consistently invested in being a good person, becoming a better father and husband, and responding to whatever needs his family expresses. And for him this family includes his ex-wife and her daughter, who Hisashi adopted. Often in dramas they'll show a divorced man (or a man who's had an affair) and mention that he has two families, but he's always left his first family (or his "illegitimate" family) by the wayside, as if they never happened and aren't his responsibility. But Hisashi doesn't take that easy way out. Plus, he happens to be the best cook out of all the male and female characters on the show (not sure why this was chosen as such an important feature, but we see him cooking a delicious and often intricate meal in every episode), which is something that traditionally falls under "woman/wifely duties". So props to Kimura Takuya for taking on this character that both implicitly and explicitly challenges the traditional roles of Japanese men and fathers. This is one idol-turned-actor whose performances I can wholeheartedly get behind.

I would recommend both of these shows, but the winner this round is 'I'M HOME' hands down. Kimura Takuya really impressed me with the depth of his performance, and when his character realizes how much of a rider his wife is and crawls to her in the last episode? One of the most moving and beauifully-shot TV scenes I've seen in years.