Connect to your account and we’ll send your message to Twitter.
Twitter Account: Not authorized (update)
Celebrating ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’
In honor of the opening day of New Moon, the latest film in The Twilight Saga, we thought we ...
The Cheryl Behind the Cheryl
Known to many as the long-suffering (ex)wife of funnyman Larry David, the man behind Seinfeld, ...
BlogTalkRadio Host of the Week: Alfred McComber from...
By Christina Blodgett In our continuing effort to spotlight more members of the BlogTalkRadio ...
http://www.cherylsmithonline.com
Country: United States
Language: English
Follow on Twitter
Visit on Facebook
Add to Friends
Send Message
vicegrip unityshows
5/10/2009 1:48 PM UTC
can you open the chatroom
You are not logged in. Please log in to write a comment.
Live, informative talk with guests and callers.
Cheryl Smith
Date / Time: 11/29/2009 2:00 PM UTC
Category: News
Call-in Number: (646) 200-0459
Informative talk with journalists and guests dealing with issues of the day.
Upcoming Episodes
11/29/2009 3:00 PM UTC - Speak Out with Judge Maryellen Hicks
12/6/2009 2:00 PM UTC - Reporters Roundtable with Cheryl Smith
12/6/2009 3:00 PM UTC - Speak Out with Judge Maryellen Hicks
Date / Time: 5/10/2009 1:00 PM UTC
Roundtable of journalists and guests discussing issues and events. Scheduled Guest: Actor and author Hill Harper.
Date / Time: 11/24/2009 1:56 AM UTC
Dallas, TX -- BACK IN THE USA!
Yesterday I'm settling down for three hour wait at Charles de Gaulle Intl Airport for my USA flight when I see a stylishly dressed woman settling in a seat. I tell the woman that I was talking to, "excusez-moi" & I walk closer to see if my eyes were deceiving me. As I got closer the woman looked at me with amazement.
Yes,... it was Shelia Detrick Brooks, the woman I met in Dallas in 1989!!! Imagine NABJ in Paris, France!
Newsflash - Shelia was in Paris for an Entrepreneurial Summit! THAT SISTA IS INTERNATIONAL!!! Darn Shelia, we didn't even take a picture! Why do you have an Iphone if you don't use it?!!!
And there I was acting like I was Mark Gail, IRWIN THOMPSON, Sarah Glover, Katina Revels, or Jesse Hornbuckle while taking photos in Africa and I didn’t whip out the camera once while Shelia and I were walking around the airport, chilling on the plane and eating quiche!
We get to DC and Brooks stays with me because of course I have issues getting through customs. Seems I had some “stuff” that I shouldn’t have! So after jumping through all of the hoops, they let me enter. Ironically, there was a time when I wouldn’t have had a choice as to whether I came or not.
But Shelia hung in there with me.
Then the extraordinarily handsome Andre Brooks is there to pick up his mama and share some love with me. They stayed with me until I had all my stuff together for my trip to Dallas.
That's that NABJ love -- that is genuine, unconditional and so appreciated.
Date / Time: 11/23/2009 4:02 AM UTC
Day 6
I think I may have gotten about an hour and a half of sleep before Velonick arrived with two young ladies to braid my hair. It was a really quick job, a little over 3 hours and $25 for the job. (tip, hair and refreshments came to $50, maybe $52.50!
While the ladies worked on my hair, I was on the computer typing a few book reviews (I left the books with Velonick) and I did my column for The Dallas Weekly.
Then Thomas came over to bring some of his newspapers and to talk more about the possibility of a bilingual newspaper in Douala.
I played good old music that you would hear on KKDA and 94.5 and it was interesting watching the young ladies groove. They couldn’t speak English but they could sing and move!
Just as they were finishing up with my hair, Pius called and said everyone was going to lunch. Thomas went off to sell some of my clothes (brought back 100,000 Francs, too!) Earlier in the week Pius took us to a restaurant called The White House. We went to the same restaurant but in a different location today. All I ate was plantains and pineapples.
Then Velonick came to get me and we went SHOPPING. I got an extra bonus because the money I was going to spend was exactly what Thomas for my items.
Velonick and I worked things! We had so much fun, getting what we wanted for what we wanted to pay
The driver stayed with us for three hours and we paid him $6000 Francs, which comes out to about $13-15. Velonick came back to the hotel with me because I had maybe an hour to pack and be ready to go to the airport with Mitch Land.
Velonick was not going to leave me. She was ready to go to the airport and wherever else she needed to go to make sure that I was cool. I told her to spend the night in my room, since I was leaving and I gave her $10,000 Francs--just because she was so wonderful. Velonick is in college, working on her masters degree in accounting. She wants to come to America and I would love to be her host.
After we packed, we went downstairs to wait for Mitch and when he came, we said our goodbyes. I was glad it was night time because I didn’t want her to see the tears in my eyes. I really had a nice time and it was such a special time for me.
When we got to the airport, Mitch asked me did I have $10,000 Francs for an exit tax. Talk about being floored, I didn’t know we had to pay to leave Africa! Here my ancestors were stolen from the Motherland and I go to visit centuries later only to be told that I couldn’t leave if I didn’t pay!
Well, all I could think about was the $10,000 I had given Velonick. But I didn’t fret, because she deserved it and folks who know me know how I feel about students.
Mitch came to the rescue and paid the fee for me. He was a savior, because he helped me through the entire process. Pius did not come to the airport with us because he needed to get some rest.
Mitch’s flight departed an hour before my flight was scheduled so we said goodbye. He was on his way to South Africa to visit his son, daughter in-law and grandchildren. Mitch has a very interesting story. He said God led him to spend several years in Africa.
Well, After Mitch went through his security check point, I went to my area and immediately got on the computer to stay awake. Then one of the airport workers came up to me and asked if my name was Cheryl Smith. I got a little anxious and then pointed to a window. Lo and behold the person standing there was Pius Njawe, along with a member of the Douala Police Department!
He said he had to come and see me off and invite me to come back again.
Pius is a special person. Imprisoned for speaking truth to power, for speaking about corruption and freedom, Pius has suffered extensively but he continues to fight the good fight. He stayed with me until I got on the plane.
I was so tired, I know I went to sleep before the plane took off. Sure I woke up, ate, watched the move Coach Carter and slept again.
The trip back to Paris did not seem so long.
Date / Time: 11/23/2009 3:22 AM UTC
Day 5
Douala, Cameroon-- We got a reprieve today. Pius said that we would be picked up around noon to go to his house for lunch. I thought I would sleep late, so I didn’t go to sleep until about 6am. Well, Thomas of the English Speaking Journalists Association stopped by at about 10am to talk about a project.
So, I was up and at em. Then I had to check out of the hotel because I had accepted an invitation from the Mbatta’s to stay at their hotel, Hotel Serena, for the rest of my stay.
Once I checked out, and settled my account, Thomas went with me over to the Hotel Serena and we talked some more before I had to leave with Pius.
Pius’ house is something else. And it was something else getting there. It was amazing how many men I saw urinating out in the open. That’s what they do in Cameroon, and other parts of the continent as well. There were spots where the traffic was excessive and there were times when we came to almost a complete halt because the potholes were so huge.
We ought to send former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller there to see if she can do something with those potholes!
I got to see several different neighborhoods and living styles as we made it to his estate. The whole crew was there and we ate a beautifully catered lunch before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the gala that evening.
On the way back, we stopped by the Le Messager offices and I passed out, sitting up! I might have even snored, who knows?!
Pius got a driver to take me back to the hotel with strict instructions that I was to be prepared by 8:30p.m. Sharp. I was picked up at about 10:20, but who’s watching the clock?
When I got to my room, which when all is said and done, I spent very little time, I answered emails, updated Tweets and Facebook and tried to keep myself awake. Before long it was time to go wait downstairs, at 8:25 because I didn’t want to be the hitch in the get along.
Time kept ticking away and no driver, Pius or anyone.
I played with the computer in the lobby. The Mbattas stopped by on their way out to an engagement and we talked for a bit, with me showing them my Facebook page. After relinquishing the computer to another guest, I sat in the waiting area and a man came and we started talking over juice. It was an interesting conversation until he asked for my room number. I said, “brother, I am in love!”
And I said it in just the nick of time because the driver came around the corner and we picked up another guest and disappeared!
When we got to the Peninsula Hotel for the Gala, we walked the red carpet and the festivities began. It was a packed house and a full program. It was hard to believe that we didn’t leave out of the Hotel until 4:45a.m. I was determined not to go to sleep, but who could stay awake?
Original Air Date: 11/22/2009 3:00 PM UTC
Original Air Date: 11/22/2009 2:00 PM UTC
Date / Time: 11/20/2009 3:08 AM UTC
Day 4
Douala, Cameroon-- I still have not adjusted to the time difference! This morning we were to be up and out at 8:30am. I was ready and when I got to the lobby, Isabella was almost ready to go. She needed to get moving because she was moderating the session.
She wanted to walk. It wasn’t a long walk, but you know how folks in Dallas drive EVERYWHERE!
Well we took off walking and made it to our destination. I was dripping wet and ready to take a cab back to the hotel!
I talked to my girl, Vel, and we are going to tour and shop on Saturday because all of Le Messager activities will be over on Friday night.
After a while the heat got unbearable. Actually if you combine the heat with a lack of sleep and an empty stomach, well I had to get back to the hotel, so Vel and her friends had their driver drop me off.
I immediately took a shower and crashed, even without eating! Hours later, I woke up from a call from Pius Njawe to tell me what the rest of the evening would be about. He was going to the conference so I got dressed and went down to the hotel restaurant to eat.
Imagine my surprise when as I prepared to leave my hotel room, I realized that my room door was not closed . I must have been really tired!
It’s hard to believe it took me this long to realize that although my room was on the first floor, here the first floor is the top floor. Luckily for me the walk down to the restaurant was only four flights. After describing what I would like to eat--fresh vegetables in tomato sauce over rice with plantains, I settled down for a great lunch.
And then I headed right back to bed, actually to finish some reading for a few assignments, and also to fulfill some requests for Ann Machen at Paul Quinn College.
Then it was time to go to the concert. There were some really talented artists performing and one, who could be called Cameroon’s Chuck D, really set the crowd on fire. After about four hours, a few of our entourage headed back to the hotel.
Tomorrow is an exciting day because we are going to Pius’ house and then there will be the closing banquet.
During the concert I got to observe quite a bit. The men were not sagging and the women didn’t have all their goodies out in the open on display. Very few people were smoking. There were no portable toilets and men had no problem walking off to the side and releasing themselves--I don’t know what the women did should they find themselves in need of quick relief. I also noticed that many of the females dressed just like we do in America--weave and all. There’s actually quite a bit of weave!
When I arrived back to the hotel, I spent some time with Ephraim, in the hotel lobby. I will be checking out of the hotel in the morning to accept an invitation to spend the next two days elsewhere so I don’t expect to see him again. But, he has my information so that he can get in touch with me when he comes to America.
I called home and talked to Annya, Ayanna and Jasmine. Everything is cool on the home front so I can continue enjoying this wonderful experience, which I noticed that since I have been here, my yellow fever vaccine that was itching the heck out of me in America is not bothering me one bit here!
It was already 2am, so I headed back to the room for another shower--this time I double-checked the door to make sure it was tightly secured.
Tucked in for the night, what better thing to do than to get on Facebook?!
This experience has been so wonderful.
Date / Time: 11/19/2009 3:03 AM UTC
Tuesday, November 18
Douala, Cameroon -- This was a wonderful day. Of course I got a slow start because my body is still on Dallas time but once I got rolling, I came hard! First on the agenda was a panel discussion about the media’s role. Isabella from Spain, Dr. Guidy and I talked about the importance of Le Messager and having a free press. I opened by thanking my host and expressing my appreciation of Pius Njawe, then bringing greetings from NABJ President Kathy Times. I talked about the Percy Qoboza Award that Pius received and also how we met in 2001. After introducing Dr. Land, who served as my translator, I gave a little history of the Black Press, the rise and decline and the future, tying in with the future of Le Messager. Reciting the Black Press Credo, I talked about problems in the media, like the images that are portrayed of African Americans and how Black people in America have distorted impressions of Africans and Africans harbor stereotypes based on the media coverage. I dealt with questions about objectivity, collaborations between Black journalists in America and Africa, advertising and the future of the African Press. After the session, we went to two of the vendors who set up a meal and everyone sat down to eat. Of course I went and looked in each dish. Much to my surprise one of the dishes was filled with a meat I had never seen before--it was crocodile. Again, I was grateful for the day I decided to become a vegetarian. I didn’t want to be offensive but I know, unlike many on Facebook who encouraged me to be adventurous, the kid wasn’t feeling it. The gracious host sent a worker back to her restaurant and they brought me an elaborate salad, which held me over for a while. That is until I went back to my room and showered before falling asleep, only to awaken starving. I was so grateful for the call from Mitch (Land) saying that we were going to dinner. We went to the elaborate Les Hotels Serena, which is owned by Sam and Valerie MBAPPE. The food (that I could eat) was WONDERFUL. Once dish had feet! The service was great and the establishment was wonderful. I have to get the names of all the guests in attendance because there were some powerful people like the Minister of Information for the Ivory Coast and an entertainer, Alpha, who folks say is the equivalent of Michael Jackson to Africans. It was a wonderful experience and I felt so good, even though the language barrier left me in the dark at times, the warmth and love flowed. Valerie took me on a tour of the hotel. The rooms are really nice and each room has workout equipment. She and her husband invited me to stay--I wonder if they were trying to tell me something… Tonight I am so happy!
First on the agenda was a panel discussion about the media’s role. Isabella from Spain, Dr. Guidy and I talked about the importance of Le Messager and having a free press.
I opened by thanking my host and expressing my appreciation of Pius Njawe, then bringing greetings from NABJ President Kathy Times. I talked about the Percy Qoboza Award that Pius received and also how we met in 2001. After introducing Dr. Land, who served as my translator, I gave a little history of the Black Press, the rise and decline and the future, tying in with the future of Le Messager.
Reciting the Black Press Credo, I talked about problems in the media, like the images that are portrayed of African Americans and how Black people in America have distorted impressions of Africans and Africans harbor stereotypes based on the media coverage.
I dealt with questions about objectivity, collaborations between Black journalists in America and Africa, advertising and the future of the African Press.
After the session, we went to two of the vendors who set up a meal and everyone sat down to eat. Of course I went and looked in each dish. Much to my surprise one of the dishes was filled with a meat I had never seen before--it was crocodile.
Again, I was grateful for the day I decided to become a vegetarian. I didn’t want to be offensive but I know, unlike many on Facebook who encouraged me to be adventurous, the kid wasn’t feeling it.
The gracious host sent a worker back to her restaurant and they brought me an elaborate salad, which held me over for a while.
That is until I went back to my room and showered before falling asleep, only to awaken starving. I was so grateful for the call from Mitch (Land) saying that we were going to dinner.
We went to the elaborate Les Hotels Serena, which is owned by Sam and Valerie MBAPPE. The food (that I could eat) was WONDERFUL. Once dish had feet!
The service was great and the establishment was wonderful. I have to get the names of all the guests in attendance because there were some powerful people like the Minister of Information for the Ivory Coast and an entertainer, Alpha, who folks say is the equivalent of Michael Jackson to Africans. It was a wonderful experience and I felt so good, even though the language barrier left me in the dark at times, the warmth and love flowed.
Valerie took me on a tour of the hotel. The rooms are really nice and each room has workout equipment. She and her husband invited me to stay--I wonder if they were trying to tell me something…
Tonight I am so happy!
< Previous Episodes