My take on Will Smith - Chris Rock Oscar incident

​At the start of this week, Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards (the Oscars) have been the topic of the day by Monday (two days ago - the day before yesterday. 

So for that, here is my take on the matter. 

When you think of Will Smith, you think of how famously popular he is. Best known for the 90s TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, his music when he was in the hip hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff and his solo work as an rapper and the movies that he appeared as an actor: Bad Boys, Men In Black, Independence Day, Enemy of the State, Ali, Shark Tale, I, Robot, The Pursuit of Happyness, I am Legend. The list goes on. 

When you think of Chris Rock, you think of how famously popular he is. Best known for his comedy as he is stand up comedian. The sitcom Everyday Hates Chris and the movies he appeared on including the Madagascar film series where he voiced the character as Marty. I watched Madagascar film (the first film) many times before especially when I was a boy. I enjoyed watching it & I also seen the two sequels. 

So why both men Chris Rock and Will Smith are the centre of the attention publicly in the recent days? 

Well it is understood that they are friends (Rock and Smith). Both talented black celebrities which I happened to admire both of men and yet, they are the centre of the attention. 

A comedian (Christ Rock) making an inappropriate joke about someone’s medical condition. Will Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Being diagnosed with alopecia. Medical condition that associates with hair loss & commonly, it is associated with cancer when women becomes bald. So for Chris Rock to joke about it with G.I Jane  reference is never acceptable. Alopecia affects women and it is not a lifestyle of having alopecia. It is not something that any person (comedian or not) should make a joke of. It’s distasteful.

And as for Will Smith, I totally understand what Will Smith is coming from. Having to defend his wife Jada cos of the offensive inappropriate joke by Chris Rock. 

Joking about alopecia (the medical condition term for hair loss) is never a laughing matter. However violence is never the answer either.

He (Will Smith) is wrong to slap Chris Rock. Why slap someone live on TV just because you don’t find the joke funny? Not acceptable. Physical assault should never be justified. If I was Will Smith, I would had confronted Chris Rock at backstage instead of smacking Chris Rock live on TV. At least Chris Rock handled it professionally whilst being hit by Will Smith and that he decided not to press charges against himself (Will Smith). Imagine him (Will Smith) not being rich and famous & he attacks someone. He would had been placed under arrest & face charges. Therefore his reputation as the person would had been under jeopardy. But If you are famous celebrity, you’ll almost get away with it which it shouldn’t be so & no wonder the press (particularly paparazzi) would love to find anything bad & controversial just to make it a news that famous person does this and that wrongfully. Well celebrities are people like us. It is that they happened to be different kind of people. All in the name of fame and privilege. Especially after the incident, Will Smith wins his first Oscar for the Best Actor category and that he was tearful. Although it is good to see that he won a Oscar for the first time in his acting career, it is a shame that it has been overshadowed by him slapping Chris Rock live on Television. Being broadcasted in Los Angles, California, USA for the whole world to see. 

So I think we can all agree that both inappropriate joke about medical condition and physical violence are never justified and that is where both Chris Rock and Will Smith (two celebs that I happened to admire their work) are in the wrong. 

It is sad to see both of them being in the need for the wrong reasons because of how it happened at the Academy Awards (Oscars). 

 

6 years of hell now freedom for Nazanin

​I am very happy to tell you guys with an update. 

I am sure many of you have read the news over the week ago about Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe. 

I talked about it on my October 2021 blog post last year given it has been over 5 years now 6 years. 

Well as of Wednesday 16th March 2022, the positive news came in the press and on social media that Nazanin is finally freed. 

She is no longer being prisoned in Iran and that she returned home to Britain. Being reunited with Richard Ratcliffe and daughter Gabriella.  

How it did really happened? The UK government paid the debt to the Iranian government. Debt that dates back to the 1970s. £393.8m. Nearly £400m. Read more about it

One thing I know for sure. This should had been resolved couple of years ago. Almost 6 years and 5 Foreign secretaries. Now Liz Truss has the credit for being the one to secure the release of Nazanin. 

All the years of campaigning hard & adding pressures nonstop on the British government (under 3 Prime Ministers) by Richard Ratcliffe, Tulip Siddiq MP and the Free Nazanin campaign group. It has finally paid off.

Legal challenge aftermath & Travel Unravel

​Update on my legal challenge

Myself and my father (who used to be a lawyer) have concluded that we will carry on our legal challenge (my legal challenge) against one defendant and that is Travel Unravel. 

Few weeks ago, it came to my attention while Travel Unravel’s lawyer submitted their own defence letter dated 14th February last month (Valentine’s Day) and that my dad forwarded it to me on WhatsApp. 

Look at how devious Travel Unravel scammers are in terms of lying & getting away with it. Travel Unravel’s defence letter dated days after myself & dad lost a court motion against Barclays Bank on 7th February last month. Read more about it in case if you haven’t read much about the court outcome & I am still waiting for the reply from Barclays’s lawyer on my request that also you can read about it too.

How condescending words from Travel Unravel lawyer. Saying that Nigeria is “high risk” country & making up lies that i didn’t provided my bank details to them which they know very well it’s not true (I did provided with my bank account details). And also making up lies that I made a threats. No proof of evidences to back up what they are saying. Nothing but lies. 

How dare they (Travel Unravel fraudsters) say that in the condescendingly way!!! Saying that Nigeria is a high risk country (despite it’s true that Nigeria has it own problems). As if Nigeria is in war zone (compared with Syria or Afghanistan) & nobody goes there. 

If that’s the case then India is a high risk country too. They have their own problems too. High rate of sexual harassment/rape/crime. Hindus attacking Christians & Muslims. Has extreme poverty, etc. all scams that everybody has been victimised of all related type of fraud is mainly a person who is Indian. Acting as if he/she is not based in India.

I even talked about it on my July blog post that one of my friend who discovered Travel Unravel Private Holidays Limited website is registered in India. Delhi, India. Not here in the United Kingdom. India.

So yeah. Travel Unravel. Liars & thieves. No wonder they get so many bad reviews online & all of that points to scams being done by themselves. I talked about it on March 2021 blog post last year.

At least myself and dad will take on them only as we have concluded that we’ll carry on our legal challenge against them.

Thanks goodness I didn’t really visited Nigeria given I know for the fact when I booked a flight ticket (that was never issued) for the woman (Helen. Who was nothing but a bad friend & a nuisance to my dad at the time that he was struggling financially & was being jobless) on my dad’s behalf, it was the fact she wanted to come to the UK from Nigeria despite at the time the UK have already into national Covid 19 lockdown again for third time in January last year (which was never a good time at the middle of the pandemic).

Illegally withholding my money for a year & making up lies. The trademark of Travel Unravel. The part when they say that Nigeria is “high risk” country, it angered me as someone who is half Nigerian (born to the father in England who is originally from Nigeria & I know I have not visited the country before). 

So I am sure many of you my readers do know the truth and I know for sure that based on my experience & that I detailed with evidence on my previous blog posts, it shows I am genuinely telling the truth. Not made up stories. The truth & nothing but the truth. As for Travel Unravel? Based on what myself and my dad read on their defence letter, it really shows not only they are behaving very dishonest. They are also desperate. Desperately to get away with it and that they really do not feel any shame and not having conscience. 

Covid rises & selfishness of Boris Johnson

​This is going to be a short blog post. 

A rant if you like. 

I don’t want to talk but given the covid measures have mostly been lifted, the government is busy taking a victory lap as if Covid is gone completely. 

In fact here is my imagination. It’s not real but you get the idea. 

Official: PM Boris Johnson, covid cases are going up again. 

Boris Johnson: I don’t care, I am busy partying.    

Yes exactly, Covid 19 cases of infections have gone up high & what the government are doing about it? All I hear is crickets. 

All in the name of living with Covid

Surely, living with virus shouldn’t really mean endangering somebody’s health. 

Shame on PM Boris Johnson & the Health  Secretary Sajid Javid as Covid cases are on the rise given everyone knows that the pandemic is not over. Plus it is not even over globally. 

War in Ukraine: UK & refugees

​

The government in the United Kingdom has been mainly criticised recently for being the only country in Europe to issue visas to Ukrainian refugees while the rest of European countries (both EU & non EU) receives many refugees from Ukraine without processing visas. 

Look up at the infographic photo. This really does says it all. 

It’s time the government & PM Boris Johnson looks themselves in the mirror and explain why issuing refugees from war torn Ukraine to come to the UK & even turned them away at the English Channel 

Yes the government has introduced the scheme Homes for Ukraine but the last thing that they (Ukrainian refugees) needs is bureaucracy & having to wait for application process before they are granted a visa to enter the UK. 

The government are really out of touch. Few weeks ago when I read that this country took only 50 Ukrainian refugees being compared with Ireland taking 2000 Ukrainian refugees, it is crystal clear to me that the govt doesn’t even want them. Just look up at Michael Gove few days ago, losing his cool at the House of Commons about the Conservative government’s policy on refugees. Click the video to watch it

At least the public (the British public like ourselves) who are interested to house them into our homes by taking Ukrainian refugees are doing out of generosity so that those who fled from the war in Ukraine can be safe & settled in the host country they live in and that they’ll become our friends and hopefully one day, they would want to return home to Ukraine. So the government and Prime Minister better get their act together and waive visas for refugees fleeing from the war in Ukraine. 

It makes zero senses to issue visas to any person who is fleeing from the conflict/war zone in order to enter the country. 

Legal court challenge aftermath & money

This week I received a email from Barclays’s lawyers (TLT) now that myself and my father have not won the court legal challenge case motion on 7th February last month.

And I got to say it is very ridiculous in terms of the big amount of money for me. 

Since it is now already been a month since I have not won my case against Travel Unravel & Barclays. With the legal fees & myself & my dad have been figuring out the next steps, the figure (I don’t have that kind of money) given I know for the fact that we (myself & dad) will pay it but not in fully given I am on benefits (as I mentioned already on my blog while looking for work) so it wouldn’t be wise for me to pay it in full. 

I hope Barclays does takes my suggestion of me paying it in instalments like £40 a month for instalments as I suggested to them (TLP/TLT - Barclays’s lawyers) until it’s all done. 

After all, it’s headache for me & my father who used to be a lawyer & that legal costs, it does costs money. 

All because they (Barclays bank) failed to acknowledge why I was being victimised by scam by Travel Unravel scammers in January 2021 & month later, with no duty of care, they (Barclays) added me in overdraft briefly by taking the same amount (£522.23) that I reported as an fraudulent transaction. 

They can go straight to hell.

Someday, they'll (Barclays) regret for not properly understanding what I went through. Me being victimised of fraud by Travel Unravel scammers (which they illegally withheld my money for a year). Once I am done, paying the legal fees to Barclays's account, I'll close my Barclays Bank account completely. At least the majority of my money is not in Barclays. Only small amount of it. I even wanted to close it immediately but my dad persuaded me to keep it open for a time being.

Read more on last month’s blog post about it I was not really in happy mood about it. 

Finally at least, I emailed to TLT (Barclay’s lawyers) with my proposal which I am yet to hear from them. I prayed that they would have to consider my proposal (paying the figure in instalments = £40 per month until it is all eventually paid off. Who knows how long I’ll take to pay it off. A year, two years, five years or even 10 years according to my dad’s estimate. That’s unless myself and my dad have found a way completely then it wouldn’t have to last for years).

It’s like debt (although typically it is debt) and that would harm someone’s credit score/rating and because of me who recently started to build my own credit few years ago in 2020, I’ll be in the financial prison, paying money monthly to Barclays Bank until eventually, it is done. This is really not fair on me and my dad. It’s not really fair at all. 

War in Ukraine: Racism knows no borders and wars

​Racism knows no borders and wars

You know if there is something what has been ongoing regarding the situation in Ukraine (now that the country is a war torn). It is because many Ukrainian refugees are fleeing their home country from Russian military forces. Read more on my blog post about it

But here’s the thing. Many people in Ukraine who are mostly foreign students are caught up in the situation too. We are talking of non Ukrainian nationals: Afghans, Syrians, Moroccans, Indians, Africans, etc. 

Now why I am saying? Well two things. 

1. When I first read about it on social media, I seen the hashtag that were trending on Twitter. #AfricansinUkraine As someone with ethnic minority background, I was very shocked to see why black people are being treated awfully by the authorities at the Poland - Ukrainian border. I seen videos of them not being allowed to aboard on the train & buses. For me, it is not acceptable. Click the link so that you’ll understand what I am coming from 

2. Racist bias being reported in the news outlets. 

I come across of the exact reason why Africans & Foreginers in Ukraine are being treated awfully while just accepting Ukrainian refugees. The racist news bias reported on news outlets. The whole list of it

Everything from BBC News (UK) to CBS News (US). ITV News (UK), Al Jazeera (Qatar), etc.

What’s the point of standing with Ukraine & the people of Ukraine if you cannot stand with Foregin nationals who aren’t obviously Ukrainians? It doesn’t make any sense logically at all. 

Why divide people based on nationality and allow Ukrainian refugees based on the fact that they are all Caucasians (whites) and Slavs? I don’t know the answer to it but I know for the fact it is not fair on them (foreign students & non Foreign students alike) who are so caught up in the very difficult and heartbreaking situation and that the authorities should had helped them out & not being rudely unfair. Instead, all I hear is some wouldn’t want refugees who are ethnic minority backgrounds. 

Has Europe not learned any lessons since seven years ago? Last time the European continent needs is repeat of mistakes that happened in 2015.

Lastly, my hearts out to everybody both Ukrainian and non Ukrainian alike being affected by the invasion of Russian forces in Ukraine. After all, racism knows no borders and racism knows no wars.

Donate to my friend’s crowdfunding

​This is going to be a brief blog post. 

I want to tell you something my readers. 

Donate to my friend’s crowdfunding 

This is a first time that I include a link that has donation for crowdfunding on my blog. I’ll begin by explaining why I included a gofundme website link. 

Well I would introduce you to my friend.

This is my friend Solveig Pearl. I met her at the metro station when I visited Paris, France in 2019 for my short 3 days stay. She is a busking musician. 

Couple of months ago, I received a message from Solveig that her mother has been diagnosed with cancer & that operation & chemotherapy sessions didn’t go well and that it was not satisfactory. So my friend have set up a fund on gofundme website. 

I have already donated €5 (£4 - £4.39) to my friend’s crowdfunding. So far, Solveig has received 36 donations. 

Plus the words on my friend’s crowdfunding on gofundme site is in French so I am sure that you can translate into English or other languages in case if you don’t understand French. 

So If you would like help my friend to get many donations to help her mother, you can click the link below. Please do give any amount of donation. Solveig will be grateful if you can offer help and support by donating to her crowdfunding. Thank you.