This weekend

The Swazi times were advertising a movie! The Simpsons Movie was being shown at the Royal Swazi convention center. Now considering Swaziland doesn’t have a movie theater, I was very excited about this. I don’t know if I would have paid to see this in the states, but here, I’ll take what I can get.
At the Bargain price of $25E, I hurried to make plans with my friend, British Emma. (Okay… her name is just Emma, but British Emma describes her accented charm.)
Now I must say I was open minded to the whole Swazi movie experience. I didn’t know what to expect. Would it be a proper movie, or one of those pirated DVD that they sell on the street? Would it be on a real screen, or would it be on a laptop with a projector? Would we all be sitting in folding chairs? Would the Swazi’s insist on answering their cell phones, as they do in every other setting?
We arrived at the convention center a few minute before the advertised starting time (remember nothing start on time here.) It was a nice auditorium and they were selling chips and cans of soda. We picked out very plush cozy seats and they even had the little desktops that fold out in front of you to set your goodies (imagine a much nicer college lecture desk.)
We waited another 20 minutes before it began as lots of anxious movie goers filed in.
“Ah…..I think we’re the only adults here, mate”
I looked around and she was right. The room was filled with children! Oh no!
Now, being it was in Ezulwini, (where the rich people seem to live) most of these children were not Swazi. They were American, British, White South African, Nigerian, etc. And being from better off families, I can only assume they have satellite tv, and are familiar with the TV show. What were the parents doing sending their children to see the Simpsons?!!!!!!!!
I sat there cringing through the whole movie, thinking, “What are these kids thinking about all of this strangling, and ugly talk. They obviously missed all of the adult humor, all of the jabs at American politics,- in fact they only laughed at Homer being hit in the face with a tree, and Bart being naked.
To top it off, the family in front of us had an adorable toddler who was much too active to sit still through the whole movie. They just let her go walking up and down the isle. At one point I coaxed her into my row and held her on my lap for the rest of the movie. When the lights came back up they casually looked around for her. They just smiled and laughed when they saw her on the white lady’s lap. “Awwww. Isn’t that cute?” But then again, I guess in a culture where people are trying to get rid of their kids, there’s no threat of kidnapping is there? No one wants an extra one.
But overall I was happy to see a movie, even if it did get my maternal instinct all up in a dander.
PS Craig- the Simpsons spent part of the time in Alaska. Homer promoted it as, “Alaska, where you can never be too fat or too drunk. And no one ever asks to see your ‘High school equivelant exam.’” And it looked very cold… I don’t think I can come and visit you now.