Wicked

So, I've loved the music for ages (I used to blast it in the car when it was just me and the car for a drive...) and I loved the book. I had told myself that I was going to wait until returning to HMC and see it in LA with friend when it opened there in February. However, apparently I couldn't wait. Idina Menzel, the Tony award winner for Wicked, was absolutely wonderful; and the audience cheered extra for her whenever she entered the stage or sang. I do get annoyed with audiences though, especially when they start making "ooh" sounds, etc. because it's just ruining the production and it can distract the actors/actresses cause it's a live performance. Oh well. And people started standing up to clap before the curtain even fell. It was fabulous. Absolutely wonderful... (just like the song).

It's quite funny hearing some of them with British accents (which would make sense since they are from the UK), but it was interesting. Gives the production a bit of flavor.

Nina and I made an event out of it, going to a nice Italian dinner before the show and we walked around beforehand. Either way, I'm still going to plan a trip to see it in LA, it'll be fun.

Playing Mind Games

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Playing mind games

A very interesting article on the BBC about the wonderousness of magic. When I was little I always wanted to learn, but I think I had so little patience for the constant practice needed. But I do agree that slight-of-hand and distriction techniques can come into handy in dozens of scenarios. Read the article and rethink the power of magic for yourself.

Flapjacks

A comment on Brits and their food, at least a quick one. Ever had a flapjack? It's butter, oats and golden syrup (similar to the American Maple syrup)... and heavy as anything you've ever had. This product is a dessert type snack, and after going to the Butler Christmas Tea (which was lacking tea, actually) they had me take home a buckets worth. I had just better not eat them all real quick.

An additional comment: a lot of HP sauce (it's brown...) on everything, the idea that cheese often goes, and just heavy food in general. Not that I eat lightly all the time. :)

Charity Clicks

You know those websites people always send you saying: click here to make a free donation... well I'm still not sure if it's true/false and what exactly happens, but here's a link to do a bunch at once. http://www.charityclickdonation.com/free_donation_clicks.html.

A Very Long Engagement

Wow. A really beautiful movie that reminds me a lot of Amelie. Not just because of the actress but since I think the director is the same. She investigates the disappearance of her fiance after he had left for war. I think I had expected the movie to be about something else, so perhaps read up a tidbit of info before watching if it sounds interesting. She was gorgeous in the movie, and he was handsome. They were lovely in it, and the movie was good.

Casino Royale

A fabulous new James Bond. I tended to like that it was more emotional and less violent overall. Yes, things blowing up are all well and good in the movies, but this movie just didn't need it. Apparently this is the movie they say is most like the books, and I'm excited to read it. So I've put it on my list. It seemed like this was the first book, for he had just been promoted to his double-zero-seven status, but the movie wasn't promoted as such. It was an inconsequential bit anyway. The movie's plot: James Bond needs to save the world from the financier of terrorists. In a poker match.

I loved it. I'm not sure if it's a necessary movie to see in the theaters, but the camera work was great and apparently the man from HMC was a bit part. Which I can barely remember. Still very cool.

NPR and its podcasts

I've been listening to NPR podcasts, don't get too excited... they've been the more light-hearted ones. Includes Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me (recorded in front of a live audience in Chicago, no less); and NPR: Sunday Puzzle. This week's 'Wait Wait' featured Harry Shearer (Wikipedia link here), a man who has done Spinal Tap, a lot of Christopher Guest films which I love, and a bunch of voices on the Simpsons including Ned Flanders and Burns. You never really look up about people, or know what kind of humor they possess - but it's nice to see that such celebrities (or more artistic types they have on the show) are really truly comedic and are sociable with the radio hosts. Apparently the show now has a quiz on its NPR website. You can also see the show live in Chicago-something I'll have to do later in life.

Reinstate the Draft?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061119/ap_on_go_co/military_draft

Does a military draft make you nervous? Apparently 7 out of 10 Americans oppose such a reinstatement of the draft, but the representative putting it into the spotlight brings up a good point. That perhaps people feel far from the war because they don't have sons and daughters fighting, and if they did, then they might hesitate before becoming involved in such a deep manner. It's intriguing, and Rangel (a democrat no less) would include females and males ages 18-42, although he previously proposed a measure covering from 18-26. A lot of countries do have a standing drafted army, but what does it serve to do? People could work in airports, hospitals and the like, but the rest? Are they wasting their time in such a standing army?

Pelosi makes history as female speaker

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_go_co/congress_leaders_55

The first woman house speaker, and a democratic majority. Good news for America, I say.

Oh... and if you care, soon I'll post something about my reading week trip, or at least an email to some. Or perhaps pictures up on my picasa web album... soon, I promise.

America, and the vote

Unmarried women targeted in election

Besides my telling whoever reads to vote... which they should be doing anyway if they are of the legal age, the article just goes to show how many females don't do it. I remember voting for the president in the 2004 election, even though the outcome wasn't as nice as I'd hoped. Guess next time I should skip the rallies... or perhaps I should try harder. Maybe when I get back to HMC I'll have to join the league of women voters or whatever it is in order to sign more people up. I think it's one of the things I'm opinionated about (voting=good thing) that's not controversial at all. Most people agree, and not voting is just ridiculous.

A excerpt from the article:

"In 2004 they were 22 percent of the electorate yet there were still 20 million unmarried women who did not vote," she said. "If they voted in higher numbers ... they could literally help determine the agenda in this country."

Unmarried women tend to lean Democratic, political experts said.
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This article just makes me more interested in the matter. The lecturer in my British history class defined Federalism and referenced America. Yes, we are federalist, or at least that's a part of the government. America's democracy is interesting -- especially in the way it's all done, especially in comparison with other countries. And in response to the excerpt -- they'd determine the agenda because everyone should get a voice. There are 52% females compared with males who are registered to vote. Another fact. Enough rambling.

Back to history research paper writing...

Flatmates + Monopoly

Oh yes. We play monopoly.

The Motorcycle Diaries

If I said Crash was an art-y movie, then I spoke too soon, because Motorcycle Diaries takes the cake. The movie is about Che Guevara and his friend Alberto who undertake a motorcycle journey of South America, with a long stop at a leprosy site. The movie, although it may not be true -- even though I think it is based off his actual writings, is very realistic. The movie shows how they were able to see people of all sorts - rich, poor, healthy, sick, oppressed, etc. and Che Guevara was obviously touched by what he saw on his journey that probably influenced him later in life. It was a marvelous movie and had all the great elements and was truly heartfelt. This movie is one I recommend even more.

Crash

Wow. My reaction all through the movie was just: "wow." It's quite astonishing, well done, and it touches on a lot of issues. Crash is a movie made up of several storylines: policemen, both racist and not, men who are car thieves, a married couple, a family with a little girl, etc. They're really well interwoven and the themes that the movie touches on are mainly racial. Although I know it can't be real, the movie was very realistic. It had won a lot of awards, but I thought before that it was more of a documentary, and I hadn't been too interested; but it was suggested that I watch it, and I've finally done it. I highly recommend that everyone watch it.

Illness, Canterbury, Adventure Weekend

So, I've been busy. At least retrospectively. I've gotten some kind of illness that's no good for me and won't go away even after two weeks. But even so, I went on a bus trip to Canterbury, spent time in the city with my aunt and our family friends, and went on the "adventure" weekend trip organized by Butler. It was really lovely in the country even though it took 10 hours to get there in a bus. See my photo album link on the side for more pictures of what I've been up to.

Awards Around the World

So, the past week has been full of announcements of winners. The winner of the Booker Prize was Kiran Desai. The winner of the Nobel Literature Prize was Orhan Pamuk. People who've written about issues that involved around their cultural lives -- in the case of the first, her heritage, the latter author going against the Turkish government and writing about Armenian/Turkish relations (and conflict). [And before I go on, I'd like to say that these books are so so on my list.]

People have been making a difference everywhere. Then I go and read about the possibilities up for the Nobel Peace prize, people who really have made a difference in the world. A Negotiator, representatives, a presidents, musicans, a leader of a church, and general human rights campaigners. What a bunch. It makes me think that I should do something that can really make a difference. Yes, there are those scientists who make a difference, and engineers are behind everything and everyone in essence, but is it really a attainable goal. I just don't know.

Read the BBC Article about the Nobel Peace Prize Candidates.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

I loved the movie, and now I can say I loved the real live musical. The dance numbers were big and colorful and showy (with lots of jumping splits by the guys) and surprisingly carried out perfectly. Thirty people dancing on a small stage in a coordinated manner is a serious spectacular feat. It was truly fantastic. Plus American accents by British people, and southern/mountain accents at that, makes it even humorous.

Nisha, Zane and I went together as Zane had come to visit us from lovely Paris, France. And we had a splendid time.

Exciting Weekend

A friday spent doing karaoke (although we were all too chicken till the very end before they closed). A saturday spent at Hampton and Windsor, see the picture above, as that is a picture of beautiful Windsor. Sunday was spent at Spitalfields Market, (the rain), then a quiz at night with two of my flatmates -- not as dorky as it sounds, and much harder than expected. Especially since I'm not up on British geography, tv, or culture really. We weren't even close to winning, but we'll try again another week. It's nice to know that London isn't all rain and clouds.

The Producers

Well, although I've been in London so far, I haven't actually gone to see a musical till tonight. Butler, the program I'm studying here through, took us to see "See how they run" which was a very comical play set during WWII. I had never seen the producers (although the movie is rampant, and I did want to) because my grandmother said that the live production was so much better, so I've waited, and now I've seen it. I had no idea what was going to happen at all really, and ended up loving the story and the music and all of it. :). It's about two men who set out to make a flop on Broadway, knowing that they can then misdirect some money and then run off with the money made to Rio. Very funny, and I loved it 100 percent! I plan on seeing many more musicals while I'm here, as it should be real fun.

A Million Little Pieces

I know I said I'd never read it, but I finally caved after taking it from my Grandparents (who couldn't make it past the start) and hearing some good reviews of it from others. The book is about a man who makes it through rehab after years of horrible drug/alcohol use in his life, and his realization that he has two choices: rehab or death. People have said that it seems fictional when you read it because of the varying writing styles that change between sections of drug memories and the eloquence he posses (coherently) when speaking to the counselors and his family. I agree with this idea, but knowing that the book wasn't real, helped me get through. Some of the book is especially vivid, and it would have been a great story of someone getting through rehab, but I think it gets by as fiction anyway. Final Review: A book to be recommended to those that can 1) stomach it, 2) handle books about serious issues and drug use, and 3) like the sort of stream of consciousness writing. (Most people can handle all three, so read if it interests you)

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

A japanese animated movie by Miyazaki, which was quite good. This one had more of a point than the last one I watched, the name of which I can't recally. Essentially, Nausicaa is the princess of a region and she tries to get the other regions to stop fighting each other, the earth, and the insects so that they can all overcome the poison that is spreading through the world. It held my attention, and for what it's worth, that's pretty good considering I could have been napping instead. Recommended for those that like animated movies, or cutesy ones.