Charlize vs. Obama

Now I'm not the type to get teary-eyed over just anything...I admitted this over dinner at Shelley and Steve's the other night [something that I'm a little embarrassed about, although I'm not quite sure why -- probably why I've never said it!] : Charlize Theron makes my eyes fill up with tears. There. I blogged it.

Every time I see her on TV - interviews / Oscars etc, I can't help feeling my chest swell with pride & emotion well up. I'm not sure exactly why she does this to me, but for the most part, I think it is probably national pride - something I am not constantly aware of. I have no idea what sort of person Charlize is in 'real life', but I feel incredibly proud of her.

I was in CNA a little earlier today (I think they call it something different now -PNA I think) and I saw a little photo book on South Africa which made me think about my visit to New Zealand [I would have been there by now - this time last year]...and the gifts we take to people we visit overseas. I don't think I would appreciate a photo-book of places in New Zealand (or any other place for that matter) that I'd not been to before. Giving such a book to someone - someone who has never seen how amazing South Africa is, is proof of the love [and national pride?] that the giver has for the beauty and experience they have had in this land....it's a desire to share that with someone who's not been here.

There was a quote I read a while ago that went something along the lines of: When you see a picture/photo of a place, you can admire it for its beauty - you notice that the photograph is beautiful. When you see a picture of a place you've been to, you see the picture with the three dimensionality of knowing the feeling of the place & it makes the beautiful picture appear so much more beautiful. It is no longer a pretty picture of a place, but a landscape of memories & experience.

I love that.

Charlize is South African. She knows our country & she is an ambassador of it - She is someone who has become famous & achieved great success internationally. She knows what it is like to be South African...to live in our land...to eat mieliepap & to stand in the girls' group next to the braai....And there she is - on TV - for all the world to see her in all her beauty - so gracefully accepting acolades of her success...South African's admiring her with such pride - because she is 'one of us'.

Barack Obama. Sjoe -- where to start?! This man has such amazingly trustworthy eyes. True or false? I couldn't say for absolute sure, but this is the way it seems...I had to drop a movie off in Fish Hoek this afternoon & ended up having a coffee at a new place people have been raving about - 'Espresso' in the Pick 'n Pay mall. It was the first time in a long time that I felt I was back in Breckenridge in the US - at one of my fav. coffee spots - enjoying time & a great coffee on my own.. Admittedly I've been avoiding the news, but I picked up yesterday's newspaper which had Obama's inauguration speech in it and read the whole thing - top to bottom.

There were a couple of things in the speech that bothered me a tiny bit, but then, I had to remember that he's American & he's been inaugurated their president - not ours / the world's. American's are a proud nation (if generally somewhat misinformed about the rest of the world) - I felt that the speech was quite defensive about that fact. It was as if Obama was not only recognising that, but defending the American opionion of themselves to the rest of the world & stating that they are going to use this to their advantage as well as to the rest of the world's.

I found a very cool response to critique on the speech from the LA Times - click HERE.

As I said: I don't know much about news...don't know much about Obama -- but for some reason, sitting in that coffee shop today - reading about this man who has captured the hope of, not only the nation that he is about to lead, but of so many people around the world - My eyes filled up with tears & I felt that hope - and pride for this man who seems so down to earth, honest & intent on making a positive difference: For everybody.

May he be blessed & lead by the truest spirit of good that a person can have in their heart.

Obama Poster credit