As much as I love movies, I usually bypass the award season: The Globes, the BAFTAS,the Oscars. I have friends, close friends, who love the whole thing, take the Monday after the Oscars off work, dress up, drink champagne, sit through the whole 'nail-biting' ceremony, frocks, tearful acceptance speeches, thanking of God and so on. I seem to be congenitally unable to control my desire to spend the whole evening berating a celebrity obsessed society, how much actors earn, how important they think they are, blah de blah de blah...
However, this year I made an exception, reason being, needless to say, that one Mr. Viggo P. Mortensen, Esq. was up for Actor in a Leading Role for "Eastern Promises" (probably my favourite film of last year, although "No Country for Old Men" was a very close second). Having a bit of a soft spot for our favourite Dane, I decided to go the whole requisite amount of yards (whatever that number is). So the housemates and I set the video (we couldn't stand having to sit through adverts). I made sure there were no calls to give the game away, and we settled oursleves in about an hour after start with lovely food, drinks. I donned a delicious cleavage-bearing aqua silk frock with a diaphaneous pastel purpley/greeny bolero, put the hair up and squeezed into killer Kurt Geiger aqua heels.
A few hours in we all remember why we never watch it: but the champagne was helping. Great to see Tilda Swinton and Javier Bardem win and a lovely trawl for "No Country" to that point. Eventually there are just the two categories to go: Actor in a Leading Role and Best Film. They start the run up to the Best Actor and preview some previous winners.
Guess what happened next?
Monday 25 February 2008
Wednesday 13 February 2008
Follow your dreams...except for that one where you're naked at work.
I've been here for ten weeks now and beginning to feel much more settled. Obviously y'all are asking me if I am enjoying it and if I'm happy, what I'm missing, etc. It goes without saying that I miss you all, enormously...and I stand by my belief that London is the best city in the world. However, for what ever reason, there is something about living somewhere smaller and by the sea which is what I need right now. Whatever I decide to do in four years time, I think I made a good choice about studying here and I am following that dream (whatever number it was in my long history of new plans), really enjoying meeting new people and expriencing a different culture, even if it is in many ways similar to our own. Therefore, there is by definition, much that remains a complete mystery to me.
Perhaps 'a complete mystery' is not quite the right phrase. Had my life been more 'traditional' my surname would, as you know, have been Brady not Raynor. So I ask you, where else but in America would you have a random stranger walk past you in the street, spit on you, and shout in your face, "F@ck the Brady Bunch!"
I am still finding it amusing that people don’t always understand me and find my accent ‘cute’ and ‘charming’. It’s perhaps not quite so amusing that I am often asked, “So what would a British person say about this?" Just so you all know, I am taking it upon myself to speak on behalf of the whole nation with alarming regularity and some might say reckless abandon. Certainly on most occasions my opinions have no element of fact or knowledge involved whatsoever… as you know.
I was reading the other day that on being asked what he missed about England now that he spends so much time in LA filming ‘House’, Hugh Laurie said he missed the buildings and the cruelty. The British, he said, are very harsh people: hard to impress, very tough on each other. It's not that the British are more honest - you're just under no illusions with us. L.A. runs on optimism, enthusiasm and flattery. Apparently people say there's a limit to the number of years you can stay in LALA without going slightly mad. It's just too damn sunny in every dimension: the weather, socially and professionally.
I found that simultaneously both amusing and perhaps portentous! But then again I did come to the foggy city instead. However he also said that as a scientific type he’s a bit miffed with our current love affair with all things Eastern. Apparently when he sneezes on the set, 40 people run to hand him Echinacea. So he’s taken up boxing as a response to men in white pyjamas feeling each other's chi. And on that point, with darling Hugh I must diverge.
And this post's picture is really for Susan, Bernie and Staffs Jules. It serves two purposes: firstly, it's my desk, so it proves that I am studying, and secondly to introduce you to the house cat, Miss Lulu Bunny. When I'm fingers to the grindstone it's her spot of choice.
Perhaps 'a complete mystery' is not quite the right phrase. Had my life been more 'traditional' my surname would, as you know, have been Brady not Raynor. So I ask you, where else but in America would you have a random stranger walk past you in the street, spit on you, and shout in your face, "F@ck the Brady Bunch!"
I am still finding it amusing that people don’t always understand me and find my accent ‘cute’ and ‘charming’. It’s perhaps not quite so amusing that I am often asked, “So what would a British person say about this?" Just so you all know, I am taking it upon myself to speak on behalf of the whole nation with alarming regularity and some might say reckless abandon. Certainly on most occasions my opinions have no element of fact or knowledge involved whatsoever… as you know.
I was reading the other day that on being asked what he missed about England now that he spends so much time in LA filming ‘House’, Hugh Laurie said he missed the buildings and the cruelty. The British, he said, are very harsh people: hard to impress, very tough on each other. It's not that the British are more honest - you're just under no illusions with us. L.A. runs on optimism, enthusiasm and flattery. Apparently people say there's a limit to the number of years you can stay in LALA without going slightly mad. It's just too damn sunny in every dimension: the weather, socially and professionally.
I found that simultaneously both amusing and perhaps portentous! But then again I did come to the foggy city instead. However he also said that as a scientific type he’s a bit miffed with our current love affair with all things Eastern. Apparently when he sneezes on the set, 40 people run to hand him Echinacea. So he’s taken up boxing as a response to men in white pyjamas feeling each other's chi. And on that point, with darling Hugh I must diverge.
And this post's picture is really for Susan, Bernie and Staffs Jules. It serves two purposes: firstly, it's my desk, so it proves that I am studying, and secondly to introduce you to the house cat, Miss Lulu Bunny. When I'm fingers to the grindstone it's her spot of choice.
Thursday 7 February 2008
Kung Hei Fat Choi! 恭喜發財!
... which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous” rather than "Happy New Year", but I’ll go for that. You see those characters at the top? I’ve got to learn that. Now you know I struggled with Spanish wherein, for example, “todos los ingredientes son naturales’ really does mean ‘all the ingredients are natural.” So what do you think my chances are with 恭喜發財? I will be calling on your Chinese translation services, Kate!
Justine’s mum, Patty, took me to the San Francisco ballet: a beautiful building and a very good dance company. We’re planning to have a Patty/House trip to the Annie Liebowitz exhibition coming at the end of this month. Patty’s a member of the museums so we’re going to see them all on Wednesday afternoon outings while I still have a light school schedule (pronounced ‘shed – yule’ obviously).
Susan and Bernie just sent me a great parcel full of monkey things (pyjamas, slippers, pants), hilarious London postcards, chocolate (my favourite dark chocolate gingers...mmm) and a 70’s music CD. You have no idea how happy that Jackie CD has made two 43-year old women! I was dancing to ‘Love is the Drug’ in my monkey pants!
I was going to put this picture of the dogs, Emma and Lucky, on the blog last week. I took it just after New Year when we went for a walk on Alamo Square overlooking the painted ladies (the old Victorian houses – it’s a San Franciscan landmark which people come to photograph because you can see old and new SF). On Sunday little Lucky Dawg was run over by a car so you can imagine we are a very sad household indeed. He was a real little character and if there is a doggy heaven we hope it’s full of the pigs ears and broccoli which he loved.
Justine’s mum, Patty, took me to the San Francisco ballet: a beautiful building and a very good dance company. We’re planning to have a Patty/House trip to the Annie Liebowitz exhibition coming at the end of this month. Patty’s a member of the museums so we’re going to see them all on Wednesday afternoon outings while I still have a light school schedule (pronounced ‘shed – yule’ obviously).
Susan and Bernie just sent me a great parcel full of monkey things (pyjamas, slippers, pants), hilarious London postcards, chocolate (my favourite dark chocolate gingers...mmm) and a 70’s music CD. You have no idea how happy that Jackie CD has made two 43-year old women! I was dancing to ‘Love is the Drug’ in my monkey pants!
I was going to put this picture of the dogs, Emma and Lucky, on the blog last week. I took it just after New Year when we went for a walk on Alamo Square overlooking the painted ladies (the old Victorian houses – it’s a San Franciscan landmark which people come to photograph because you can see old and new SF). On Sunday little Lucky Dawg was run over by a car so you can imagine we are a very sad household indeed. He was a real little character and if there is a doggy heaven we hope it’s full of the pigs ears and broccoli which he loved.
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