Songshards

Incredible kid

2008-12-23T13:50:00.003+08:00

This is one talented kid. You should listen to him playing the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song and The Boxer - two of my favourites!

The perfect toastie

2008-11-26T13:23:00.004+08:00

When I'm busy like I've been these last few weeks I just grab a sandwich for lunch like most people. But I'm very particular about the choice of fillings.

For instance, I don't like lettuce in most sandwiches because it washes the way the flavour of the other things in it and makes the bred soggy.

Today I decided to go for a three filling toastie and I chose roasted vegetables, cream cheese and bbq chicken with ketchup. When that bread hits the toastie rack the cheese melts over the vegies and chicken and it tastes just super! The ketchup adds that slight tart tang to it that balances out the flavours for me.

Anyway, I obviously love my sandwich combinations but today I was pleasantly surprised when the person standing next to me in the line went 'Mmmmmmm!' when she saw my toastie being made.

I feel the urge to go cook something experimental again. Oh for the time to do that!

Was too hungry to photograph my toastie so thanks to taste.co.nz for the image.

Quantum of Disappointment

2008-11-11T10:22:00.004+08:00

I didn't like the new James Bond movie. I'm not a 007 fan. But I think if you're making a 007 movie then you have to have the cheesy lines and keep the Bond character in tact. Otherwise as Vindi says it could be a Bourne movie.

So you have a dark, glowering, brooding Bond. Okay. Fine. But then he tries to buy an airline ticket, has his credit card denied, leans toward the woman behind the counter and says - you're going to get a call asking where I'm headed - could you tell them I went to Cairo? And she's completely charmed and says of course! On what planet does that happen? At least if we'd been made to feel like he was this charming, charismatic sort of guy - the regular Bond - then we'd have maybe bought it....

Also the car chases were just too much camera shake for me. It felt like I was too close to the screen even though I was right at the back of the cinema. I guess they were trying to make you see it through the characters' eyes but it didn't work for me. I'd rather see the action properly so that I can appreciate the arty moves.

Supernatural

2008-11-01T09:49:00.005+08:00

Here's my (yummy) halloween post. Has anyone seen the TV series Supernatural? It's the Winchester brothers Dean (Jensen Ackles at left) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) vs restless spirits, draculas, werewolves, demons... and as many urban legends as you can think of. With guest appearances by Jeffrey Dean Morgan as their dad. This clip on YouTube gives you a taste of season 1.)

The brothers are off saving the world from evil using their wits and urban lore and the world doesn't know it. So they've got the Feds after them for... credit card fraud, for masquerading as FBI agents, for breaking and entering, for breaking in and out of jail and a long, long list of other crimes - most of which were committed by the evil things they hunt.

Although it's super scary what really makes this series tick is the great rapport between the characters (apparently off screen too) and the humour! Click here to watch some witty moments from the series.

Image: fanpop.com

Dog risks life to save kittens

2008-10-28T13:53:00.003+08:00

This is such a heart warming story - click here to view. [Image and link: BBC]

Kat and Dawg

2008-10-19T20:33:00.005+08:00

Meet Kat* and Dawg.* This story is for all those who think that cats are one-track minded creatures with no imagination.

Dawg has been around for longer so she's boss. Kat is a stray who's only just joined the family. He walks along the back wall and jumps neatly down into my mom's back yard. Then he squats by the pantry door, purring softly and listening for any sounds of movement from within.

When Kat knows someone's about he begins to miaow. It's not the usual "I WANT MY FOOD!" mew. It's as if he's telling us what the neighbour up the lane had for breakfast or how the people next door forgot to close the backdoor the night before. Even when a dish of food is put before him he will first rub his head against your shins, then your toes, then swat playfully at any flappy clothing items within range before wandering over to the food.

One afternoon Kat sat giving us the neighbourhood news for longer than usual and as everyone was busy he wondered into the pantry to see what was happening. Unfortunately, Dawg was there and saw him. With a growl and a yap she pounced on him and chased him all the way back to the perimeter wall before any of us could stop her.

Kat didn't turn up for dinner that night. But come breakfast time he was back at his place just outside the door. Dawg glared but as he was outside she tolerated him. Kat eyed her warily but as soon as any of us peeped at him Kat would silently mouth "MIAOW!" - it was so funny!

To this day Kat will not step into the pantry. If Dawg is around he will mouth silent maiows at us. If she's not in Kat goes back to giving us the neighbourhood news.

*Names changed to protect identities

Mamma Mia!

2008-10-13T12:22:00.002+08:00

"Should I laugh or cry?" "When all is said and done..." it was "Tragedy!" It was "dum, dum, diddle." "On and on and on."

And I took H with me. He was like "Why did it have to be me?" "You owe me one!"

Okay, I was just trying to drive a point home. That's what the script of Mamma Mia seemed like to me. Two lines of conversation and then they burst into song over and over again!

Meryl Streep was great singing sad songs like "The winner takes it all" but I thought she and her buddies hammed it a bit sometimes. They were definitely eclipsed by Amanda Seyfried and her pals. And 007 can't sing! I laughed out loud in several places just looking at Pierce Brosnan's face while he was singing. It was like he didn't know how to prolong the right facial expression for the duration of the song - I mean when you say a line you say it and that's an end of it, but with an entire song that takes 3 minutes to say one thing... oh hahahahahah! Colin Firth did the best singing, I thought, of the three. And Stellan Skarsgard, well when I first heard about them putting this film together I thought how unfair to have him up against Brosnan and Firth but boy was I ever wrong! I thought he was the best of the three.

Anyway, bottom line. It's a great laugh to watch with your girl friends on a lazy evening. And a great island to visit with your significant other - though you may want to stay at a different 'hotel' if you're looking for comfort!

Image: dailymail.co.uk

Life

2008-10-03T18:59:00.007+08:00

A drunk driver blew into my life and turned it topsy turvy.

Oh I wasn't at the scene. But several hospital visits and a funeral later our lives will never be the same again.

Since last October my life has been a runaway rollercoaster. I hope to goodness this October I get to step off and stand on firm ground again.

I was going to say so what - that life is like this for everyone yeah? But then I saw this 60 Minutes interview with Bon Jovi where he says he hasn't had a bad year since the doctor slapped his ass and I was thinking man, I sure hope it stays that way for you because that is a rare, rare gift!

And then I thought - but that can't be true. No one has a life like that. So what's his secret?

I figure it has to be the way you look at life. So here's how I'm going to live it. I'm going to take all the time I need, then just chalk it all down to experience and move on!

Wonder boys

2008-06-30T08:47:00.002+08:00

I know that's not a good picture of RDJ but he's brilliant in this movie. Having said that I would add that Michael Douglas far outshines the guy as Prof. Grady Trip. Toby Maguire was good too but I guess I've seen him do that sort of role before.

Great cast, great plot, great script but I won't go into reams about Wonder Boys as I'm sure everyone has seen this movie by now and it's been critically acclaimed and everything.

Image: morningcup.wordpress.com

Saints

2008-06-29T09:36:00.004+08:00

A guide to recognizing your saints reminded me a lot of Sleepers in the beginning. Like Sleepers this movie starts with a bunch of youngsters in a rough neighbourhood (actually they're part of the reason why the neighbourhood is rough) but they're just kids in a sweltering summer with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

The movie was written and directed by Dito Montiel (his debut as a director) and it's based on his life. In a nutshell it's a coming of age movie about a boy who runs away from a violent dead-end part of Queens and 15 years later has made it as a successful author. He begins to head home for the first time in all those years after a message on his answering machine from his mother who says he father is ill.

It's a story about how you can never step into the same stream twice. Dito has to deal with the guilt of having run away and made it while most of his friends are now either dead, alcoholic or in jail. It doesn't help when his first love 'gives it to him straight' and tells him that he killed his father the day he ran away and that the old man has been bleeding to death since then.

I liked the way the story is told - in typical indie style. And the acting is great, be it the young crowd (Shia LeBeouf plays the young Dito) or the experienced Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palminteri or Robert Downey Jr.

The thing that bugged me about this movie though - there's this dramatic scene at the beginning when Dito (RDJ) is on a stage almost in silouette talking about the book he has just written and all the people who are in it who were like his guiding saints and lead him to where he is in life right now. But that Dito and the Dito we see later on as the film develops (again RDJ) seem like two different characters. A bit of detective work and I found out that the first scene was shot right at the very, very beginning even before anyone else was cast for this movie.

That first Dito is more like the author/director. The Dito we see in the rest of the movie (the character created by Shia and RDJ) is a posher, more cautious version of the character.

It's funny how things make sense when you go behind the scenes of a movie.

I don't suppose many of you would have seen this one but if you want to know more about it this interview is pretty in-depth.

Image: femail.com.au

Becoming Jane

2008-06-23T21:10:00.002+08:00

When I settled down to watch Becoming Jane I thought it was going to be like Sense and Sensibility. I wish I'd had an inkling of what a different path this movie was going to take. I think this shot was probably as close to 'romantic' (in the way Sense and Sensibility was) that this movie ever got to.

There were no idyllic scenes of rolling green hills dotted with sheep. Instead there were pigs that needed to be fed and potatoes that needed to be planted. A walk in the countryside was very different from... well, from a walk in the park I suppose. So, two very different Jane Austen worlds!

But I liked the ending. And as I've said before - a good ending is very important!

Image: abc.net.au

P.S. I Love You

2008-06-19T06:46:00.004+08:00

I laughed and cried for this movie. It was good. But I'm not sure I would call it a keeper.

Why? (Spoiler Warning!) Well for one because like DG said Hilary Swank's character was so mean to the love of her life - and for no reason I could see. Okay her dad left her when she was 14 and maybe she's insecure that her husband will too but that doesn't really make the shoe throwing reasonable (okay - is it ever? Hmmm). Anyway, for this and other tiny little reasons too numerous to mention here, it doesn't hit the mark as a feel good movie.

I thought Gerard Butler did a good job as the husband. But the thing is, I was waiting for Jeffrey Dean Morgan to turn up. And it takes half the movie for that to happen! And when he does he's got this stock adoring look on his face - ALL the time! I know he's got a range of other emotions he can do and has done on Supernatural - ok maybe not Greys that much. It's a real shame.

And I thought the movie focused too much on Harry Connick Jr's character Daniel. I mean give us a better picture of how it's going to be for Holly after she moves on. What kind of a guy is she going to end up with when (IF!) she chooses Billy? All we know is that he patrols the lake twice a week, works at Gerry's parents' farm some days with his dad, plays guitar and has a cute butt. We know more about the kind of person Daniel is than Billy! So not very satisfying.

Prince Caspian

2008-06-11T06:17:00.003+08:00

I liked the second Narnia movie. Here and there you found patches where the children were not acting. And sometimes the CG characters in a wide angle battle scene would just be bobbing up and down and not doing anything. Or Susan would be firing arrows into the melee but no one seemed to feel a thing or if they did the timing was wrong.

Other than those little things it was pretty okay. Aslan was spectacular. Ben Barnes, the kid (young man I should say) who played Prince Caspian was good. I think we'll see a lot more of him in the movies. StarDust fans will remember him as the young Dunstan.

I know this is supposed to be a Christian allegory but I just didn't get it. The main message seemed to be that things never happen twice the same way. Is that from the Bible? From which part? And then (SPOILER WARNING) the thing about the younger kid being able to see Aslan before the others - that's not particularly Christian either is it? I mean it's the same philosophy for fairies for instance - children are more likely to see them than grown-ups.

Image: Impawards.com

Double trouble

2008-06-01T09:41:00.005+08:00

Hmmm. Anyone else think that Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Robert Downey Jr look deliciously similar?

Image: daviddylanthomas.com

Chaplin

2008-06-01T08:50:00.010+08:00

Has anyone seen Chaplin Starring Robert Downey Jr? I watched this clip and now I can't wait to see the movie.

And the man can sing! Okay, you probably already knew that but I just discovered it. This is him singing 'Smile' in Chaplin - one of my all time favourite songs. I suppose everyone's seen him sing Every Breath You Take with Sting on Ally McBeal - I never got into that series so this clip was a real treat.

UPDATE: And at 43 he's writing his memoir! Sequel out when he's 86?
His wife Susan's apparently responsible for him turning his life around so she's got to be one smart lady!

Image 1: uk.movies.yahoo.com
Image 2: usatoday.com

Dirge urges

2008-05-27T08:44:00.002+08:00

Why is it that right throughout history - well the bits we know anyway - people have found such great comfort in finding the right words when someone dies? Some of those ancient Greek or even Augustan dirges are so philosophical and wordy! But it's true even today isn't it? When granny dies the grandkids gather around and read out a poem or sing a favourite song or hymn. And it does give comfort. And closure I suppose.

But I bet it's small comfort to the person who's died - if they didn't want to die. My grandmother looked forward to death because she'd just buried her eldest and only son. She followed him 5 months later. I think she would have been pleased with the poem all us grandkids read out at her funeral. It certainly helped us in our grief.

The thing to remember though is that those philosophical thoughts help the one who's saying them. Not the other way around. I know because I've done it too. You feel bad for the person in pain. So you philosophise.

I had bad news yesterday for the second time in my life. I had to tell close friends and relies about it. The thing is some responded with philosphy. I know they care very much about me. And that they were upset. And that the words helped them. But I wasn't lying dead and lifeless in a coffin! I was - am I suppose - very upset and the last thing I want is philosophy!

I'm hardly ever bitchy - well, except for the odd time or two when it's unavoidable - but I responded ferociously. Thanks but I don't want to wonder why it happened. I don't want to think that this experience will make me stronger. I'm no more special because of it than the next person! And no I don't think crying about it will make things better or give me release - whatever that is!

After that outburst I'm sure they're thinking, poor kid, she's going through the anger stage (you know, shock, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, acceptance). Maybe they're right.

But seriously. I didn't need proof that they care for me. I just needed a friend to be silly with. Someone who'd make me laugh despite the hurting.

Hmmm. But perhaps they couldn't know that. Well here's my little nugget of knowledge then. It's sometimes okay to make a sad person laugh. If you're very close they already know that you care even if you're saying funny, light-hearted things.

Oh hey, I just remembered, it's not my nugget after all. Remember in Love Actually when Daniel is crying because his wife just died and his friend Karen puts an arm around him and says very gently, "Pull yourself together. No one is ever going to shag you if you cry all the time."

Great line. Great advice.

The Look

2008-05-13T13:33:00.004+08:00

What is it with men and The Look? You know the one I mean. The one that turns your knees to jelly. McDreamy had it in Enchanted - but no surprises there, I'd already seen him with it in Grey's Anatomy. (Enchanted was good by the way - way better than 27 Dresses although Izzy was good - the plot of 27 Dresses was basically the same as Runaway Bride all dressed up - heh heh, no pun intended.)

Joseph Fiennes had The Look in Shakepeare in Love and Elizabeth. Hugh Grant in Sense and Sensibility. Well, I suppose the list is endless. Is The Look only visible to people attracted to men? Do men see it in women? Do you only see it in people you are attracted to?

Image: startribune.com

Woolgathering

2008-05-07T09:09:00.001+08:00

Discovered this delightful blog - Woolgathering.

Iron Man

2008-05-04T19:24:00.005+08:00

Kid brother is in town so I went to watch Iron Man with him. Was glad I did. Robert Downey Jr was brilliant as the superhero. I never realised he'd make good eye-candy too but he did! So that was a plus. Some laugh-out-loud mos towards the middle of the movie, all in all not too bad a way to spend an afternoon.

A bit of imdb-ing and I find that RDJ's also in Edward Norton's Incredible Hulk as Tony Stark - Iron Man's "real" name. Off to do more research...

UPDATE: Here's the Beeb's interview with RDJ

Image from gizmodo.com

Juno

2008-04-21T19:10:00.004+08:00

I watched Juno for the first time yesterday. Wasn't expecting much but ended up laughing and crying. It's a very quirky movie. That's the word that best describes it I think.

The funny thing is that I found myself liking all the characters - some more than others - and it wasn't a simple case of good guy-bad guy. Each was good and bad in some way or the other but you liked them all the same. And there were gentle, unexpected twists and turns to the plot that made it interesting without giving you motion sickness.

Image from CBSnews.com

Typhoon Neoguri

2008-04-21T18:45:00.008+08:00

Right, so there was lots of excitement as we waited for the earliest-typhoon-of-the-year-since- World-War-II.

We even went out with huge umbrellas when the T3 signal was up just for the heck of it. That was exciting! The umbrella's were like sails and I had visions of us flying away like Mary Poppins - well, not so demurely! We saw several broken umbrellas discarded on the pavements so we were pretty careful with ours. It was fun turning your umbrella into the wind and then pushing hard against it to make any headway.

But sadly the mighty Typhoon Neoguri turned into a mild tropical storm and Sunday, which promised to be even more exciting than Saturday, dawned cloudy but warm with long stretches of watery sunlight. This is what Victoria Harbour looked like yesterday (taken with my phone on a very bouncy ferry).

Happy New Year!

2008-04-13T08:27:00.003+08:00

Subha Aluth Avuruddak!

Yep, that's right. Being in Hong Kong I get to celebrate the new year three times!

1 January - the western New Year
Jan-Feb - the Chinese New Year
13/14 April the Sinhala and Tamil New Year

My wish for the new year? Peace for my beautiful, war-ravaged country. And for you, health, happiness and prosperity.

Ain't no mountain

2008-04-11T10:27:00.006+08:00

Ain't no mountain high enough is one song that always manages to lift my spirits.

I think I first heard it on Step Mom. That is one very heart-breaking (in a good way) movie - lots of very touching 'glug' moments.

It was also the best thing about Sister Act 2. Sister Act 1 still makes me laugh every time but the sequel... well let's just say once was enough.

Image: nydailynews.com

Foyle's War

2008-04-09T08:59:00.004+08:00

I've been thoroughly enjoying a British TV series called Foyle's War. It's set in World War II - so lots of Spitfires and quaint English and 1940s living rooms. The main character is Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle. Michael Kitchen, who plays the role, has done a brilliant job with this character. Then there's his impish driver, Samantha Stuart, and the solid and dependable Sergent Milner. Perfect combination - I am totally hooked.

But what really surprised me was that the writer and creator of Foyles War is Anthony Horowitz who wrote the Alex Rider series. To be fair I haven't read any of those books but I did see the film - Stormbreaker - and not even the magnetic presence of Ewan McGregor could raise it to anything as special as Foyle's War.

Have seen series 1-3 and am just starting on four so there will be further lapses in posting I'm afraid!

Image: smh.com.au

Stardust

2008-03-31T11:31:00.004+08:00

Watched the movie at last!

Charlie Cox was so cute with long hair. Loved Robert De Niro's character - Captain Shakespeare. And I thought that if Alan Rickman ever got tired of playing Snape Mark Strong (below right) who played Septimus would be just brilliant for the role!

The only thing I'd have wished for would've been a little less chasing each other and a little more substance. But then I think I've been spoiled by epics like Lord of the Rings - just because you learn to use a sword doesn't mean you need to save the world eh?

Images from ramchandra.me.uk and movies.yahoo.com