That’s what Madonna’s new adopted daughter seems to be thinking as she soaks in the hustle and bustle of London 48 hours after being whisked from her African homeland.
The pop singer said she will “cocoon” 4-year-old Mercy James in her British townhouse for a week, to help her adjust to her new life.
Madonna’s pals said the girl slept through most of the 6,000-mile flight on a private jet from the Malawian capital Lilongwe to Heathrow on Friday.
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Her bewildered expression suggests she is finding London a rather confusing place.
After just 24 hours in the UK four-year-old Mercy James still has a lot to get used to in the world of her new adopted mother Madonna.
She was spotted outside the singer’s $15million Mayfair home yesterday morning, in the arms of a woman believed to be her nanny.
Madonna, 50, won custody of Mercy a little over a week ago and had been expected to fly out to Malawi to collect her.
Instead a nanny flew with Mercy on a private jet to South Africa on Friday night before taking a first-class flight to Heathrow.
Hours after landing on Saturday Mercy accompanied Madonna and her new siblings Lourdes, 12, Rocco, eight and David, three, to a London meeting of the Kabbalah faith.
Madonna’s ex-husband Guy Ritchie was also seen at the centre. It is understood that he has taken Rocco and David to his home in Wiltshire while Madonna bonds with Mercy in London.
The family spent an hour at the centre in London before Mercy, wearing shiny white sandals, returned to the singer’s Mayfair home.
Yesterday passers by got a glimpse of the girl as she was seen at the singer’s front door wearing a smart new pink frock as guests arrived at the home.
It is believed that the singer was at the home as well as her car and driver were seen coming and going from the premises.
An onlooker said: ‘Mercy looked slightly confused. It has obviously been a bit like a circus around her over the past few days so it’s not surprising.
‘It was only a day or two ago that she was still in Malawi and now she finds herself in the middle of London without her friends.’
Experts have criticised how quickly after arriving in the country the youngster had been taken to the Kaballah centre saying she needs time to adjust.
They fear her new life in the limelight of Madonna’s family will prove to be a big ‘culture shock’ to the girl from a Malawian orphanage.
In Malawi the girl’s dad James Kambewa who had battled to take custody of the child has hit out at the singer adopting Mercy.
He said: ‘My Mercy is gone. Madonna has used her money and power but my blood lives in Mercy for ever and ever. There is nothing I can do now.’
If Mercy’s experience of living with the superstar is anything like Madonna’s other adopted child, David Banda, she can look forward to a life of luxury.
Little David has been treated to designer clothes and has dined regularly at some of New York and London’s most exclusive restaurants.
Last year the three-year-old was seen being carried out of the Mayfair eaterie, San Lorenzo’s, a far cry from his native country Malawi where the national dish is a maize-based meal called nsima.
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Madonna can adopt a second child from Malawi, the southern African country’s highest court ruled Friday, overturning a lower court decision it said was out of touch with the times.
Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo, reading the three-judge panel’s ruling, also said the singer’s commitment to helping disadvantaged children should have been taken into account when deciding on Madonna’s request to adopt 3-year-old Chifundo “Mercy” James.
Madonna has founded a charity, Raising Malawi, which helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi’s more than 1 million orphans, half of whom have lost a parent to AIDS.
Children’s welfare groups had expressed concern that rules meant to protect children were being bent because of Madonna’s celebrity, and perhaps out of gratitude for what she has done for Malawi, one of the world’s poorest and most AIDS-ravaged countries.
Madonna’s lawyer Alan Chinula said he called his client after the ruling.
“It’s the wee hours of morning in New York but she is excited at the news,” Chinula said. “As her lawyer I am happy that this has settled this contentious issue.”
Chinula said he would now turn to arranging a passport for Chifundo, which could take several days, and was awaiting word from Madonna on travel plans for the girl. The adoption may not be final for some time.
Madonna had appealed after the lower court ruled she could not adopt the girl because the singer had not spent enough time in Malawi. The lower court said residency rules had been bent when Madonna adopted her son David from Malawi last year.
The appeals court said that was a narrow interpretation based on old laws.
“In this global village a man can have more than one place at which he resides,” Munlo said in the ruling, which took more than an hour to read in court Friday. “The matter of residence should be determined at the time of application of the adoption. In this case, Madonna was in Malawi not by chance but by intention. She is looking after several orphans whose welfare depends on her. She can therefore not be described as a sojourner.”
The ruling also said the judges saw only two options for Chifundo, “either to stay at the orphanage without the love of family and live with the possibility of destitution or be with Madonna where she is assured of love.
“Every child has the right to love.”
But the chairman of the coalition of non-governmental organizations that criticized Madonna’s adoption efforts said they had “reservations” about Friday’s judgment.
Undule Mwakasungula said the judge “disregarded” international agreements on children’s rights and adoptions.
He also took issue with the argument that because Madonna has made an investment in the country and has interests there, she could be considered a resident.
“We are a bit surprised but we can’t challenge it because the Supreme Court has ruled and we have to go with that,” he said.
A tipster who describes himself as a “front of house employee” at the Bryant Park Hotel claims that Madonna, whose Sticky and Sweet Tour is on hiatus, booked 28 rooms for her dancers, roadies and techies. “They are horrible,” our source alleges. “We work with people in the fashion and entertainment industry all the time, a crowd that is notoriously difficult, but these guys are rude. They are presumptuous and cheap. Nearly every one of them have stiffed their bellman and servers, and what’s worse is they have tons of stuff.” A rep for Madonna said Her Madgesty is known for her generosity and typically doles out tips when a hotel stay is over. And a hotel rep called the allegations “fabricated,” adding, “They are a polite group. We are happy to have them stay with us.”
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Madonna isn’t going to be a happy camper when she finds out that boy toy Jesus Luz is referring to her as “just a friend.”
“She is my friend, only my friend,” the model said in his first-ever TV interview on the Brazilian TV program “Fantastico.” Luz also denied he and Madge are “going to the temple” anytime soon to make it official – even though his dad, Luiz Heitor Pinto da Luz, spoke to Quem mag about an upcoming kabbalah commitment ceremony. “Madonna is a person who I admire very much, a friend who has entered my life and [with whom] I keep in contact. I cannot say anything more than I don’t have plans of marrying her. I can’t say if she is the woman in my life,” he said in his native Portuguese.
The model also touched on the subject of the oft-used moniker of “boy toy” and strangely didn’t seem bothered by the less-than-flattering term. “Frankly, I never give importance to what others say about me. They can write that I’m a ‘toy boy’ or ‘boy toy.’ And I won’t care.”
Odds are the Material Mom won’t be too happy after being slapped with that “friend” title, especially given the fact that Luz is currently living in her Central Park West apartment. But if she’s displeased with her Brazilian stud, Madonna is more than happy that another recent ex, Alex Rodriguez, has moved on with actress Kate Hudson.
“Madonna is actually relieved that A-Rod seems so happy with Kate,” a Madge insider tells us. “He’s always treated women like he treats home runs anyway. He’s getting a great batting average here. In fact, Madonna is actually proud that she’s raised the bar for him, so he can date a better caliber of women.”
Sources tell us Hudson and A-Rod have been secretly seeing one another for the past month and a half. “Kate said she’s been seeing someone new, but had to keep it very hush-hush,” one Hudson insider confided.
Added another, “When she hits Yankee Stadium, she sits in A-Rod’s private seats. They’re giddy when they’re together.” And although Hudson is currently filming in Oklahoma, she and her slugger keep the new love alive with sexy late-night phone calls.
Too bad Madge and Luz are just “friends,” because these four could have made for a very interesting double date!
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According to Jesus Luz’s papa, Madonna and his son are definitely tying the knot, kabbalah style.
In a recent interview with Brazil’s Quem (Who) magazine, Luis Heitor Pinto da Luz says: “The kabbalah ceremony [in New York that] will link up my son Jesus Luz and Madonna only confirms that he is extremely happy.”
But although the pair is planning a ceremony, the younger Luz most likely won’t be signing a prenup anytime soon: The wedding won’t be legally binding. “I don’t know if there will, in fact, be a real marriage between Madonna and my son. It will be a type of ritual, but I do not know kabbalah [or if the ceremony] will have legal validity,” says Luis, who doesn’t seem upset that his evangelically raised son, a model, is converting to the branch of Judaism.
In the interview, the elder Luz continues to spill the beans on his son’s relationship, saying Madge and Jesus live together in her Central Park West apartment. He also denies rumors that Madonna is shelling out big bucks to teach her Brazilian stallion to speak proper English. “[Jesus] already spoke English very well before he knew Madonna!” he says indignantly, explaining: “He has an aunt residing in the United States.”
The young stud has also been playing surrogate manny to Madge’s kids, says papa Luz. “She has small children, and Jesus helps her out with various tasks involving all of them. He plays ball with the kids. Jesus has charisma and loves children.”
Whatever the nature of their post-ceremony relationship, Jesus’ dad heartily approves of his son’s choice in women.
“I’ve spoken by phone with Madonna – in French, because my English is not fluent – and she appears to me to be a normal and polite person,” he says. “She is feminine. I don’t feel she is a harsh person.”
We hate to inform you of the facts, Mr. Luz: Madonna may be a lot of things, but feminine she ain’t!
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It’s a pose often favoured by inebriated students – a hand grasping a fellow reveller’s behind.
But at 50-years of age Madonna should know better.
The mother-of-three was pictured striking the unusual pose with fellow guests Amber Rose, the model girlfriend of Kanye West.
That were at the star-studded Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Ball earlier this month.
Of course, Madonna may have thought the photo would never be viewed by the general public. But Amber Rose was so pleased with it that she posted it on her Twitter page – sharing it with the world.
Yesterday Amber’s boyfriend Kanye, also in the Madonna picture, made it clear that he doesn’t share his girlfriend’s passion for the social networking page.
In a rant on his blog the rapper chastised those pretending to be him.
‘Why would I use Twitter?’ he wrote ‘I’m too busy actually being creative most of the time and if I’m not and I’m just lying on the beach I wouldn’t tell the world.
‘Everything that Twitter offers I need less of.’
Perhaps he should share his views with his girlfriend.
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A couple of weekends ago, Madonna, who recently signed a contract for a townhouse on East 81st Street, stayed at the beautiful Wolffer Estate Vineyards in Sagaponack. But our sources report she wasn’t interested in buying the 12,000-square-foot, Tuscan-style villa and 100 acres, which have been on the market since the winery’s well-liked founder, Christian Wolffer, died in a freak boating accident in Brazil on New Year’s Eve — she just wanted to board her horses at the winery’s stables.
Madonna then presented the estate with a 10-page list of demands, according to our source. Among the stipulations were that “no one could be in the riding ring at the same time she was. It was laughable. They turned her down flat.”
Since then, Madonna has kept her horses at pal Steven Klein’s residence, where photographers snapped her when she fell from her horse three weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Hamptons sources say the Material Mom is still house-hunting out East as well as in Westchester’s Bedford.
“She is officially moving back to New York and not going back to London, where [ex-husband] Guy Ritchie lives,” our insider said. “Not her.”
A rep for the singer said, “Madonna never had any discussion nor were demands made regarding her storing horses there. There is no 10-page list of demands. None of that is true. No info regarding where and if she’s house-hunting. I get calls all the time about different places saying she’s looking to buy there in 10 different states.”
Not that Madonna or her rep is to be taken at face value — they’ve repeatedly lied to us about the Material Mom’s doings for years.
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