5 non-mainstream movies you need to check out

Hollywood is great, and they have all the gadgets. I hear Nollywood is entertaining too.

But I find that non- mainstream movies stick in my mind longer. Check out these five if you are looking for something different. I can hardly watch a movie twice, but these five,,, give me any day.

        1. Hero

This was not a movie of my choice but I had to review it in Digital Film Class. The director is the same guy that choreographed the 2008 China Olympics. Some of these scenes are computer generated but whoa. Check this..color color.

The mock battle on the water, and the other where all the petals are red, or yellow. Cinema is about being carried into another world, and this movie does that for me.

In this scene they pay an old man to play a haunting tune that mingles with the rain outside.

 2. Run Lola Run

I watched this movie at Goethe Cultural Centre Nairobi many many years ago but I still remember it. Great background music. I like stories like these. Simple story-line. The contrast was the girl's hair.

  3.  Parineeta

piyu bole

I have many Bollywood favorites but Parineeta remains top on the list because it really gives us a view of the Indian countryside. My favorite shot is when the children are singing:

Kasto Majja Hai Lelaima

Ramailo O Kalee Odhalee

I watch Bollywood for its poetry, costume and clever quotes. The above scene, when the two are singing that song they made up together as kids is another fav.

 4. Our Times

 
 Is a Taiwanese Movie that again, has a simple story-line, but with funny twists. You will laugh, and cry and then fall in love with the bad guy, coz he is really cute and not the bad guy in the end. 

it's true, sometimes your nemesis becomes your sidekick

    5.  Amélie
My ex gave me years ago and somehow I only understood it when I watched it the third time.

 He said I should  stop taking care of everybody's happiness and look after myself for once! Well.. that came out all wrong and I just kept walking in the other direction. but I liked the movie anyways.

 You really have to pay attention to this movie, it has good music like -Juno- If you are a nerd you will love it.  I have been meaning to clip out a tiny scene though, just like in Juno.

That's my list, feel free to add.

5 Reasons Hillpark Hotel is queen of the South Coast

Queen may refer to:
a female monarch who reigns in her own right having equivalent status to a reigning king

If you have had a long day dragging cameras, interviewing random people, trying to fake a Coast  Swahili accent and not doing it successfully, you know you need to go somewhere to let it out.

For us, our home has been HillPark Hotel, Tiwi located at South Coast.

We stumbled upon it one evening after work We wanted somewhere  next to the beach, but for a good rate.

1.Service and Security

From the hotel manager, Mr. Kuria, to the receptionist Catherine to the intern Moses who I met at the bar during a morning walk, to the security guards, the swimming pool attendant. Everyone is so cool and professional. You just need to make a phone call and any issue will be fixed, even if it is bringing you extra shampoo at 11 p.m.

This is one hotel I have felt completely secure. We hardly ever locked the doors or used the safes provided. It could be that the entire place is lighted all night through. This means you can do these two activities at any time.

2.Nature trail
Hillpark Hotel stands on 80 acres of ground. If you can get out of the heavy set beds and take a walk, you will be able to enjoy nature in its own setting.

well kept grounds, you don't need a guide.

The vegetation is pristine, and the big trees are all well labeled so you know what you are looking at. There are birds, butterflies, lizards,  I don’t like monkeys but they got that kind that has blue fur in certain places which I find hilarious.

jungle showers here and there

3. Star Gazing

One day we got to HillPark Hotel so late so we had missed the swimming pool, and we couldn’t swim in the sea, there was only one activity to do: Star gazing. We were disappointed there was no moon but surprise surprise, it came out. I love looking at stars, but looking at stars on the beach, with waves as a background? You  haven’t lived until you try this.

18 till we die!

It is great that unlike other hotels we have been to, HillPark hotel keeps their beach light on.

4. The swimming Pool

If  the tide is in and you need a swim, get into the pool. You won’t regret it it is big  enough with a little fountain.

We were always late coming back from work but they would give us half an hour to splash about before they put in the chlorine. If you are up for a game, they have scheduled pool games.

5. Go Snorkeling!

snorkeling 

When the tide goes out. It leaves behind waist deep pools of water where you canget on your gear and spend the afternoon looking at blue fish, stripped fish and sea urchins.

 my favourite spots

the gazebo at night

and smugglers beauty parlour

the gazebo before sunrise

smooth walks

There is restaurant. I am sure they make great food, but we have mostly made our own food to eat at the Gazebo. Naivas and Nakumatt are just  10 minutes drive away so you can get your supplies and cook up a storm at HillPark's fully fitted kitchens.

Sublime Innocence welcomes 5 new nations--Karibuni sana

Sublime Innocence has new public admirers, and you all are welcome.

 I would like to welcome these five nations. I am quite impressed really coz you don't even speak English as a National language but still.. you are here..


1. Dominican Republic

I would love to walk this path one day

2. Israel

I would love to sit here one morning

3. Saudi Arabia

Now I am hungry for some curried potatoes

4. China

Sublime Innocence made in China?

5. Indonesia. Terima Kasir Kawan saya.

Indonesia,you are in my mind.

But old fans as well deserve a mention.
Kenya never disappoints...

 I have readers in Russia, that's vodcool.

 USA has been my biggest fan, but France is also a buddy.

 Keep reading, my Innocent people. Love you all.

Little humming bird poem

As sunrise warmed and calmed the receding sea

 The little humming bird set his foot on a dewy leaf,

Swaying in the gentle breeze.

Petals fell off the vine, scattered on the wet sand below

And he,

full of the morning lightness, chuckled inside himself-

Another morning,  another victory.

He carried it inside his chest.

 This morning the humming bird seemed to have a secret tune inside

A song that spread his joy about him.

 The sun golden on his back.

The humming bird that sat on a vine chuckling away.

We could tell tales of the morning

But we’d never know the real stories that fired the joy within

The laughter, the resounding

Pure joy in himself.

Perhaps it was the intoxication

Of the sea beyond

As the lacey waves touched the reef,

Sweeping away sea weed, sea life, sea..

The humming bird saw it and sang another cheerful tune that rose and fell with the waves at CP1.

And as a gentle breeze raised the fresh soft petals off the white sand,

He flew away happily.

Socializing the Introvert: What June taught me, what July is proving to be in five simple phrases.

Indecision is a time waster

Postponing a decision doesn’t make it go away.

 It just adds to you unnecessary options that rattle your mind and you cannot think of what it was you wanted to do. A decision will eventually have to be made, and unless you make it you won’t know whether it was a good one or a bad one. You might find out you have shot yourself in the foot, bitten more than you can chew but having regrets is worse than the bad decision. Just limp away on your good foot and find the good bits in the new decision. That’s my new motto.

I have a mean streak

And oh God I really need to get rid of it. Something about treating others the way they treat me. People are kind and thoughtful. I am not always kind and thoughtful and I can be quite mean. Sometimes I think maybe it’s coz I feel it may not be appreciated, or taken the wrong way. But that is a cliché excuse.

Take your brain to work

I once got some writing work from a client who really didn’t know what they wanted. It was hard trying to interpret their request and I spent quite a sum on the job. It didn’t end well and I felt cheated and insulted by a claim they made. Said I hide behind computers instead of meeting with my clients.

It was true; but truth is, such face to face meetings scare me. I am never sure if I will be able to express myself clearly, afraid they will discover I don’t have all the answers, and mostly rely on search engines and my smart friends.

Meetings mean, I got to dress up, arrange my hair, and arrange my thoughts.

But I read an article here (bad assery) that said something about not letting your big ideas go unseen. And so I tried, and spoke up an idea I had, and the idea pleased those that heard it and pretty soon I had to go decent shirt shopping coz I had a bunch of other meetings scheduled. So I am gonna let people take a peek of my brain once in a while.

God is in control

I was gonna write supernatural forces are in control . But that is not always positive so,,, But it is the only way I can explain why I haven’t burnt down my house, got shot in the head, been exiled. Coz really sometimes I’m not sure how I get by. I am 25% crazy and 70% insane and most times my brain is over there while it’s supposed to be here looking out for me.

in the wild without a single care in the world

I have walked right into danger wearing nothing but flip flops, I’ve been missed by speeding cars, and a highway bus yesterday. And onetime I found myself in a deserted 10 plus acre compound, chatting up two men who were cleaning out a very deep swimming pool. I wanted to look at the old colonial house I saw while taking a walk, alone.

I’m quite attached to friends and family

June, May and Ciss

Ironic as it may sound considering my mean streak, free spirit, leave me alone behavior, I’m quite a sucker when dealing with the above set of people. With family, it’s usually the many sleepless nights when I feel I am not doing as much as I need to be doing for them, like calling oftener, and even though we don’t agree in everything, they are the best.

With friends it’s not wanting to part when we meet, yet knowing how much we value the spaces in between, and how often I get amazed by how much they get me when, they text me instead of calling when it’s something important coz they know I need to think about it before I can talk it over, And how we all got the same service provider so we can make two hour phone calls, and skype so we can see how the other is looking. The little notes, notebooks, hats and music they keep in supply.

5 winter fashions I'm gonna try and look fab

 I have the books but I gave my jacket that looked like this to malimali..

still shopping for thick white sweater, or....my granny had some white seat covers which I could borrow and stitch myself one....

it won't be hard to find a hard leather bag...

 and when it gets under 20 degrees you will find me here... my duvet will do a fine job here.

 If you are cold it's all your fault na shauri yako.

Legal Weed: 5 Types of weed that are completely legal.

Mũnge’i

This is practically what I fed by rabbits everyday, after fighting off the sheep that would start pulling the pile from under my armpits, I’d stagger to the hatches and pack up these weeds. We discovered they are edible later in life. Mũng’ei is soft, and better mixed with the following four. If you have heart burns and acid influx, chew some of this too, the juice is as good as any anti acid.

Mũhehenje

If on a Sunday afternoon, you have ever walked through a maize farm that has not been weeded, wearing your viscose cotton dress, perhaps to pick some green maize to roast by the fire, you know this weed. And you know if that was not your favorite dress you might have set it on fire that same day. The seeds have a way of dispersing themselves by attaching them to Sunday wear.

Mũhehenje or mũcege has a strong aroma so, use only a few leaves. I am told it can used in place of tea leaves too. Will try in August.

Togotia.

In January, there are few green leaves to be got, but this weed survives it all. So we would feed it to the rabbits. You can use it in mashed food too. It’s texture is like pumpkin leaves, so you know you’ve got to mix it with something lighter.

Mũriaria/ mũthũnga,

Mũriaria means, it secrets milk. And this is rabbit’s favourite dinner. But if you are in Malindi, you will see it being sold in bunches next to spinach. It is a little bit bitter, but they tell me it prevents malaria and is high in magnesium.

Mũkengeria.

I had to eat this one to believe you could it without poisonig yourself. I know cows love it. It doesn’t have a distinct taste, but I was told it is rich in iron.

There is more than one way to make a maize meal go down as you can see.