English Vinglish

Hey Reader! So are most of you know, Karina and I have a weekly tradition of going to the Princess Movie Theatre on Wednesdays because we get free movies with our volunteer cards. Well I have some disturbing news! In the past two weeks, Karina and I haven't gone to the Princess once! It's very heartbreaking but things just didn't work out! Last week they didn't change the two movies that they had (so we'd already seen them) and this week they were showing a horror movie (which Karina just can't handle :P). Side note, I know what you're thinking right about now. 'Victorialune, I thought you weren't allowed to check what the movie's about before going to see it at the Princess. That's your rule!' Very true my clever Reader. However in this case, I did not look up what the movie was about. I remembered seeing a commercial for said movie and I knew it was a horror/suspense. Also it makes sense what with Halloween weekend coming up. ANYWAYS, long story short we were very depressed that we couldn't go to our weekly movie and decided to rectify this situation by going to another movie at our second favorite theatre.

This theatre is in the North end of town and it's really retro. The other cool thing is that it's super cheap, compared to regular movie theatres, and it's Scene Points friendly! ;) So we decided to go see a movie at this theatre last night and we chose the movie 'English Vinglish'. It was a Hindi movie and it was probably the best movie I've seen all year. It was just spectacular! (Another side note: A man wearing Uggs just passed by me. I'm traumatized.) Everything about this movie was amazing and I think it should go without saying that the music was one of the best parts. It was about this Indian woman who doesn't know English yet it seems like everybody in her life is learning it or already speaks it quite fluently. When she's forced to go to New York City for her niece's wedding, she decides she should learn English as well. Cute and heartwarming plot, great Bollywood music, not that many subtitles and great looking actors. It really was a great movie.

Does this mean we won't be going to our usual movie nights at the Princess? Of course not! But it definitely means we'll be checking out other Hindi movies that happen to come our way! Besides, hipster movies are even more hipster when they're in a foreign language! :)

Those Darn Awkward Moments

Ah Reader, I know it's been a long time. For that I am gravely sorry. I know I should be blogging more because I feel like I've been ranting a lot to my roommates as of late. (For any roommates reading, I mean that I've been ranting more than usual.) Lately I've been getting into some awkward situations and I know that everyone has experienced them, not just me. So enjoy reading about my many misadventures! I know I enjoyed rambling about them to Jess and Karina.

The first awkward moment not only happened to me earlier today, it happens to me frequently during the week. You see the problem with being so involved in school and student groups is that a lot of people know who I am but I don't necessarily know (or remember) them. People will randomly walk up to me and say 'hi' even when I have no idea who they are. I feel awful because they know me and they look like they expect me to know them back. I'm usually pretty good about pretending to remember them but in all honesty, most names are forgotten quite quickly. Oh well, I guess I can't complain, it's bound to happen when you get involved.

Speaking of getting involved, there's nothing more awkward than running into people you've briefly dated or gone out with. Luckily for me, I've managed to avoid most of mine throughout my university career but tonight I managed to run into one. Reggie gave me some good advice this afternoon regarding what to do in awkward situations. He said, "It's only awkward if you make it awkward. So don't make it awkward. You'll feel better about yourself when he makes it awkward first!" I agree wholeheartedly with this statement! Unfortunately it was still quite the uncomfortable situation. Hopefully I won't run into him for awhile, the awkward levels were too high this evening!

Another strange encounter is when you run into professors outside of class and you think they know you. I'm not naive Reader. I know that most of my profs have no idea who I am but when I've been in three of their classes and spoken with them on several occasions, I get the feeling that they might remember my face. The other day I ran into this particular prof and said 'hi' to him in passing. He looked so confused but politely said 'hi' right back. I felt lame to say the least.

I hope I'm not alone in these ridiculously awkward moments. I don't know about you my dear Reader, but I'd prefer to avoid the awkwardness at all costs! Life's so hard right? Anyways, I'll try to keep posting but no promises! I guess too much stuff is making me mad lately! How can I pick what topic to discuss? :P

The Fall Lineup: Bring it!

Hey Reader! I'm currently sitting at my kitchen table with my dear friend turned room mate Yessica. She's also blogging at the moment. I find this to be so cute and yet so sad at the same time. She tells me she's blogging about school (something very important to her). So I thought to myself, what should I write about that's very important to me? You guessed it Reader! TV of course! But this time I won't be complaining! Nope, today will be the exact opposite of complaining! Today I'm going to talk about the fall lineup for 2012! Oh my goodness, I can hardly wait for all my shows to start up again! It feels like ages have passed since they finished off in May (June for South Park). But fret not good citizens! I will do my best to give you some advice on which shows to check out this fall!

For those who know me quite well, it should come as no shock to say that I'm pumped for the next season of 'Survivor' to come out. It will be season 25 and it still amazes me to see that this show is returning yet again! I know many people say that 'Survivor' has outlived its welcome and that it should have been cancelled seasons ago but I strongly disagree (and not just because I love the show). Every season they find new ways to amaze me with twists and turns and of course, the lovely and talented Mr. Jeff Probst. So get your 'Survivor' office pots going folks, season 25 starts September 19!

Oh 'Parks and Recreation'! I adore this show and I'm SO happy they're bringing it back! I would like to thank Reggie for getting me hooked on Leslie Knope's shenanigans in the little town of Pawnee. 'Parks and Rec' really does what a good sitcom needs to do and that is first and foremost to entertain the viewer. I know that season one was a little slow going and some people compared it to 'The Office' but coming into season 5, it has really distinguished it self as a prime time comedy and I personally think it has a few good seasons left! Check out 'Parks and Rec' season 5 starting September 20!

I've already given my little talk about 'How I Met Your Mother'. I've already admitted to loving it (even though I seriously tried to avoid watching it) and I've already admitted to wanting it to come back for another season. So for those who need their H.I.M.Y.M fix, mark the calendar for September 23 when season 8 premieres! (Let's hope they wrap it up this season hey? HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR CHILDREN'S MOTHER?! GAH!)

'South Park' is ridiculous when it comes to how they split up their seasons. Season 16 of the comedy legend premiered earlier this year, ran seven episodes then, in June, stopped airing episodes. They do this every year and season 16 will be returning on September 26. I have personally been disappointed with the recent 'South Park' seasons (12-14, you know what I'm talking about) BUT seasons 15 and 16 have thus far been a great improvement. Let's see if Matt and Trey can keep it that way! (I'm hopeful!!!)

I know that many people are waiting eagerly for season 6 of 'The Big Bang Theory' to start up. I have to admit that I am not one of them. I forced myself to watch season 5 and to be honest, was not all that impressed. The jokes have gotten old, Sheldon has ALMOST (I repeat, almost) lost his charm and the whole 'is Raj gay' thing has been dragged out. If he is gay, great, fine, I don't care. If he's not gay, STOP with the stupid jokes. It's getting SO old! Anyways, I will of course be watching this next season as I would feel incomplete if I didn't watch the whole show. I just hope this season brings more laughs and less sighs from me. Check it out (season 6) on September 27. 

I'm so happy that I've gotten Karina into 'The Amazing Race'! In fact, she will be my race partner should the franchise ever come to Canada. We've had in-depth discussions regarding what our strategies would be and how we would run the race. Either way, this amazing (pardon the bad joke) reality TV show is coming back for season 21 on September 30! I am so excited to see who the teams are this year!

On the same day as 'The Amazing Race' premiere this month, we have the MUCH anticipated premiere of 'Dexter' season 7. Now for those who aren't caught up on 'Dexter', GO WATCH AND CATCH UP! (But you must of course first watch 'Sherlock'! XD) The ending of season 6 was so intense and I have been waiting for almost a year now to find out what happens! I will not wreck anything, just believe me when I say that the events of season 7 are going to be freakin' crazy!

Into October we have '30 Rock' coming back for season 7 on the 4th, 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' coming back for season 8 on the 11th and 'Community' coming back for season 4 on the 19th. I'm VERY excited for I.A.S.I.P but for the other two, not so much. I just recently got into '30 Rock' and I love it! It's a great show and Tina Fey is amazing but the later seasons (starting with season 5) have not cut it in my mind. I feel like it has gone significantly down hill. Let's see what season 7 brings. As for 'Community', it was going to be cancelled but the fans protested to the extreme and the network had no choice but to bring it back. I was not impressed by season 3 so they had better do something awesome for season 4!

There are many shows premiering this fall including 'Elementary' (which I've already talked about) on September 27, a new J.J. Abrams show called 'Revolution' (post-apocolyptic type story but it sounds alright) on September 17 and 'Last Resort' (this one sounds pretty cool) also on September 27. I'm sorry that I haven't listed some of the other favorites like 'House' or 'Grey's Anatomy' or 'Gossip Girl', I just wanted to talk about the ones I'm most excited for! Either way, there is so much to look forward to! Have a good fall Reader! Watch TV and spread the good word! :P (And let me know if any of these new shows are any good!)

TV Hangups: We're Waiting!

Hello hello my fine Reader! How was the start of school (for those in the university realm)? I'd like to give a quick shout out to my awesome little sister who has started her first year here at our amazing university! I hope all is going well for you Madi and I hope that you come to love the community that you've joined. As for this fourth year (oh my goodness, where has the time gone), school started off amazingly. I love the courses I'm taking and I have great professors (so far)! This does however mean that I've slowly been watching less and less TV. Does this make me a bad person? I certainly hope not! :P Don't fret Reader, we've got lots of premieres to look forward to and I will go into more detail regarding said premieres in another post. As for this post, I thought up another problem with some TV series and I'd like to quickly comment on this.

I understand that the TV industry does not work around my busy schedule. If this were true (and if only it were indeed true), 'Sherlock' would be on season 5 and I would be Mrs. Benedict Cumberbatch. Alas my dear Reader, this world does not exist. So I, the watcher, must wait for producers, networks, writers, etc., to create their shows and the following seasons of said shows. I completely acknowledge the hassles and amount of time and energy that go into creating quality programming but there comes a point where I start to get mad. I feel like some networks put priorities on certain shows or they just take too long to make! All the while the TV nerd in me is shouting, "Where's my 'Sherlock' season 3'?!"

I had three main examples of this ridiculously long waiting game the TV executives play. I've already mentioned 'Sherlock' so I suppose that's where I'll start. As I've mentioned now several times, 'Sherlock' is an amazing series on the BBC. Unfortunately episodes are far and few. There are two seasons and each has three episodes (at 90 minutes each). Season three will be coming eventually but as for when, nobody knows. The main writer for the show Stephen Moffat also writes for 'Dr. Who', another hit show on the BBC. To me, it seems like Mr. Moffat dedicates a lot of his time to 'Dr. Who' when he could easily be writing more 'Sherlock'. The world needs to know what happens after season two! (For those who watched up to the end of season two, you will most certainly agree with me!)

My second example is 'Arrested Development'. There were originally three seasons of this amazing comedy then, due to lack of ratings, it was cancelled. This was a sad day for comedy as this was definitely one of the best shows of its time. 'Arrested Development' is up there for my favorite comedies and I loved each and every episode. Now, due to popular demand which sorely lacked during the show's original airings, it is being brought back for a fourth season which will go directly to Netflix. Although I'm super excited to see this new season, I feel that it is almost too late to care. Many fans aren't even looking forward to this new season! We'll see how it goes once it comes out but I have my doubts to say the least. They waited far too long to bring this one back.

My last example is 'Game of Thrones'. I would first like to point out that 'Game of Thrones' the series is AMAZING and the book series on which it is based 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is even better. Both should be watched/read, end of story. Now that I've shamelessly endorsed them, I'd just like to say how hard it is to wait for the next season of 'Game of Thrones' (not to mention book six in the series)! I understand that to make this amazing program, much time and effort are needed. I agree that this show deserves to take its time and make it into the spectacular Emmy winning hit that it is today. But at the same time, it's just so damn hard to wait a whole year! The world is waiting for March 31, 2013 because that is the night that 'Game of Thrones' season 3 premieres! Gah, I can't wait! 

Well Reader, that's about it for now. I unfortunately have to wake up early tomorrow morning even though it's a Sunday. I have training for one of my many student groups but at least I'll be getting it over with! I'm so excited for a new school year and of course, for the fall line up! Stay tuned for my predictions for the upcoming season which will probably be in my next post! :)

TV Hangups: 'Elementary' Problems

Oh Reader, how I've missed blogging! All that time away from my ranting and raving has really left me in a strange position. I now suddenly have so much to write about! For instance, this evening (aka this morning as it is now 2am) I was debating whether to write about the upcoming fall line up for TV or to attack an upcoming show on CBS. The answer came to me almost immediately. A rant regarding something I'm somewhat displeased about is always easier than going on and on for many a paragraph gushing over how excited I am for this upcoming fall. So without further ado, let me introduce CBS' new show 'Elementary'.

Those of you who read my last entry will know that I am an avid fan of BBC's hit show 'Sherlock', although I feel like 'avid fan' may be a bit of an understatement. It has become my mission to spread this show around to all my closest friends and have them, in turn, share it with their friends, etc. This amazing program follows a modern day Sherlock Holmes in London along with John Watson. The acting is amazing, the plots are incredible and the music is so fitting! British accents aside, BBC has really created a masterpiece here. I don't want to say anything else except that the actor playing Sherlock, Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch, is one of the most attractive people I've ever seen... And he's British. (Also, Martin Freeman who plays Watson is the star of the upcoming movie 'The Hobbit'. What a cutie!)

Anywho, CBS is releasing a program called 'Elementary' this September which will also follow a modern day Sherlock Holmes along with John Watson... Oh pardon me, with a 'Jane' Watson as John Watson has been replaced by Lucy Liu. Goodness Lucy Liu. What happened to that movie career? When did you become a TV actress? Let's ignore the fact that CBS has replaced John Watson with a sexy asian movie star for a moment. The idea behind 'Elementary' makes me so angry in that it is basically ripping off 'Sherlock', making it American and it will be somewhat like CSI. I just don't understand why CBS would try to create their own version of such a popular television franchise. I suppose many Americans don't watch the BBC and have more than likely not heard of 'Sherlock' and with writers demanding more and more money, new plots are becoming harder to come by these days. It's a sad day for TV if you ask me.

Now Reader, I am a fair judge when it comes to TV. I pride myself on knowing what the show brings to the table before judging it. Ergo, I will be watching 'Elementary' this September as I hope all of you will (after you watch 'Sherlock'). This way, using 'The 5 Episode Rule', we will be able to decide whether CBS has pulled it off or not. When interviewed about 'Elementary', Benedict Cumberbatch (the star of 'Sherlock') had serious doubts and he was quite cynical in his answers (interview here) but who knows? Maybe there will be room for two Sherlock Holmes in the TV business (as for the movie business, Robert Downey Jr has that area taken care of). I won't know until I watch although I am still greatly troubled by Lucy Liu playing Watson. It should be a man. It's just how it should be. I love Lucy Liu in all her movie roles but playing John Watson? Hmmm.

TV Hangups: The 5 Episode Rule

How goes it Reader? I certainly hope you're ready for another mini rant regarding my favorite pastime, that being TV of course. But before we begin, I'd just like to talk about something quickly! It was brought to my attention early this week that I may have a problem when it comes to my TV watching (by more than one person). But is it really a problem to love TV as much as I do? Is it really that bad to be knowledgable about one of the world's most prominent forms of media? To this I say, "no". It is not a problem to be obsessed with TV. It only becomes a problem when you suddenly realize you live alone with 30 cats and have become too obese to leave the house. As this has yet to happen, I'm going to again say that I do not have a problem... I prefer to call it a slight compulsion! ;)

Anyways, onto today's entry. When it comes to watching a new show be it just premiering in the fall lineup or recommended to you by a friend, there is always a certain amount of apprehension one feels about venturing forth and trying a new program. I get this tingly kind of feeling EVERY single time I start a new show. You'd think by now this feeling wouldn't come around but sure enough, each time I begin a new program I get that sinking feeling that it's going to suck. Even when I've been assured by multiple people that the show will be AMAZING, I still wonder whether it's worth it to actually sit down and watch this new show. I will give a prime example with the case of the BBC hit series 'Sherlock'. First of all Reader, if you have not seen 'Sherlock', stop reading this blog and GO WATCH IT NOW!.... Did you go watch it? Good! Now you can continue reading! 

I was hesitant as all hell to start watching 'Sherlock' even though Reggie had reassured me countless times of its amazingness. Well I'd like to say that he was definitely right in that it's one of the best shows ever created and I'd like to thank him for the recommendation. Most importantly, I'd like to thank 'The 5 Episode Rule' for letting me experience so many amazing programs. 'The 5 Episode Rule' is exactly what it sounds like. In order to get a good grasp on a show and whether or not it is worthy of our viewing, at least five episodes must be watched. I have tested this rule on so many programs and I think it's the fairest method. When starting a new show, even if you watch an episode and you feel enormous hatred towards the show, give it the five episode go. That way, you can be certain of whether or not you're missing out on something incredible! 

There are of course exceptions to this rule so please don't start thinking bad things about me. It's too early for that! Let's look at 'Sherlock' again. 'Sherlock' airs on the BBC which has a much different method of airing TV shows than the states or Canada. 'Sherlock' episodes are 90 minutes long and there are only three episodes per season. Obviously, 'The 5 Episode Rule' doesn't apply here. Instead, I watched an episode and a half before making my final decision (not like it really took that long). Another example of when 'The 5 Episode Rule' may not work is if the show is ridiculously short like the anime 'Baccano!'. There are eleven episodes of 'Baccano' and if you were to wait five episodes before making your decision, the show would already be half over. (Side note: 'Baccano' is totally worth watching, it's one of the best anime I've ever seen.) Now, if you watch one episode of a show and immediately know that you're going to love it, 'The 5 Episode Rule' is more of a fall back! 

Alright Reader! You are now set on how to decide whether a show is adequate or not! Even if you don't decide to use 'The 5 Episode Rule', I can at least say that I gave a shout out to 'Sherlock' and have hopefully converted a few more people into Sherlockians. Happy watching everyone! :)  

TV Hangups: Stop Bringing Them Back!

Hey Reader, I know it's been a long time coming. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if most of you have completely forgotten about me. That's understandable. But for those of you who've stuck it out in eager anticipation for the next Victorialune post, congratulations! You're about to get a nice long rant! It's been awhile so prepare yourself my dear dear Reader. It could get somewhat ugly. (Just an fyi: for those who don't know, I was abroad in Norway for 8 months. I have now returned to good old amazing Canada and don't plan on leaving anytime soon.)

Now, for those who know me (and if you're reading this blog you more than likely know me), you are well aware that I'm a TV fanatic. As such, I feel like I'm allowed to have certain opinions regarding TV and I expect them to be somewhat respected. Not necessarily by the networks, but by all other human beings certainly. No, I joke. But I do have some serious hangups when it comes to TV. I've been in the writing mood as of late and I feel like there will be a couple more entries surrounding my TV hangups. This is the first.

I really hate it when the networks decide to run with a show that is past its prime. (If Karina is reading this, I am about to define my terms, arts student style.) So what do I mean by 'past its prime'? I mean a show that is no longer funny (in the case of a sitcom/comedy), no longer entertaining in general, no longer plausible ('Lost', you know what I'm talking about), no longer original or just plain old no longer relevant in today's society. I have many examples but I'll start with a sitcom that I didn't want to watch but have grown to love.

I feel bad saying that 'How I Met Your Mother' (HIMYM) needs to come to an end. I really like this show. In fact, I can't wait for season eight to premiere on September 24th! However, I also believe that it's time to answer the question of how Ted met his wife (the mother to his children, the answer to the entire sitcom). Coming into season eight (and I don't want to spoil anything), the writers over at CBS could easily put an end to the series. Will they stop after season eight? Chances are slim. Now you may be wondering why CBS won't stop HIMYM after eight seasons when they most certainly could do so. One word; money. Of course CBS wants to make money! They have to compete with NBC and ABC and CTV (just kidding) and thus money comes into play. But when it comes to the integrity of programming, networks just don't seem to give a damn lately.

(This paragraph may contain SPOILERS.) Need more convincing? Let me compile a small list of other shows that should've ended before they actually did/are still coming back when they should really just stop. 'One Tree Hill' continued on even after Lucas and Peyton left, enough said. 'Two and a Half Men' continued after Charlie Sheen went freakin' nuts and that show wasn't even good to begin with! 'Desperate Housewives' continued even after they crashed a plane onto Wisteria Lane (are you joking me)! 'Lost' continued after they introduced time travel for no apparent reason (and never really explained why they decided to throw it in there). 'House' is coming back for an eighth season and he's now been to jail and rehab (not something you want to put on your resume if you're a DOCTOR). 'Glee' (first of all I would like to proudly state that I have never nor do I ever plan to watch this ridiculous excuse to television) is coming back this fall even after the kids have graduated (dubstf Fox). 'Grey's Anatomy' has had more casting changes than it knows what to do with and really just needs to stop. 'Gossip Girl', wait 'Gossip Girl' is STILL running?! Well that's just startling! I'd completely forgotten about it! Anyways, I think I've made my point.

So I guess the next question my dear Reader is wondering is along the lines of 'Victorialune, will the networks ever stop this madness?'. The answer is of course 'no'. The networks would be idiots to stop bringing these shows back! People become familiar with their favorite shows (even when they're been on for FAR too long) and they will keep coming back to see what happens. How do I know this will happen? Because I plan on watching season eight of HIMYM this fall as well as season 25 of 'Survivor'. I can't help it! I'm hooked. Damn those network bastards! Oh well, in the mean time I've become addicted to '30 Rock' and will continue to watch it even when its jokes grow stale along with the characters (although I'm not sure if Tine Fey could ever go stale).

The Oscars Cometh

Yo sup playa? Seriously, I've got to stop doing that. Anywho, embarrassment aside, how's it going Reader? As those of you who don't live under rocks know, the Oscars are fast approaching and will be live on February 26th. So it's that time of year again! Time to watch the nominated movies and decide for myself which films deserve the prestigious awards. The past two years have been duds (first year of university where I stayed up all night on Saturday watching an undisclosed children's show about cards games then slept through the Oscars the following day and second year not being able to find it online)! I've failed myself! Normally I'm all about the Oscars and I've decided that this year I will make it up! I've got all the nominated movies on a list and I'm making my way through, judging them accordingly. 


Now first of all, you're probably wondering why on Earth I give a crap about the Oscars. Not only are they awards for movies, the Academy that decides the winners each year is highly biased to certain types of movies/certain actors in main roles. Yes, the Emmy's would seem more suitable to my taste or perhaps People's Choice Awards, but there's something so magical about the Oscars. It's hard to explain why I love the Oscars. Maybe it's tradition for tradition's sake but I think it mostly has to do with me feeling like a hipster and knowing the winner of the Best Foreign Language film! :P (Denmark's winner last year was really good but Incendies should have won... Oh God, did I just support Québec?!)


As for this year, I feel like 2011 was a let down for movies. There weren't that many 'gooders' if you catch my drift. The Best Picture from 2010 was 'King's Speech' and that definitely deserved it! 'The Fighter' was another really great film from 2010 and it won a bunch of awards. This year's nominees for Best Picture are far less exciting in my opinion. I'm not going to name them all (you can easily check out the nominations on Oscar.com) but I'll give my quick predictions. The black and white silent film 'The Artist' is going to win big. That's what I predict. It's not fair but it's true. It's easy to see why this film got 10 nominations including Best Picture, Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director (some of the most prestigious awards given). They did something so different for today's day and age that the Academy has basically no choice but to hand over the awards like candy. I feel for other movies like 'The Help' which was so well done. It doesn't stand a chance against this piece of movie 'gold'. 


Ah Québec! They will just not give up! It's so funny and yet almost sad! For those who don't know what I'm talking about, Québec's entry for Foreign Language Film last year 'Incendies' was supposedly snubbed at the Oscars when it lost to 'In a Better World'. 'In a Better World' is a Danish film and I think that in itself was what won it the award. Scandinavian countries rarely if ever are recognized for their film making by Hollywood so I think that had a great deal to do with it winning. Don't get me wrong, it was a great movie but 'Incendies' was much better. Now normally Reader, Québec and I don't get along too well but in this case, I'm completely on their side. That's why I find it so funny that this year, the Academy has again selected a film from Québec and nominated it for Best Foreign Language Film. This movie is from the same producers who brought us 'Incendies'. The movie is called 'Monsieur Lazhar' and I have not been able to watch it as of yet. So I'm rooting for Québec this year... I never thought I'd hear myself say those words!


This is just a quick shout out to animated movies. You know it's been a bad year for animated movies when 'Kung Fu Panda 2' is nominated for Best Animated Feature. Seriously? There was nothing better than 'Kung Fu Panda 2'?! 'Rango' was also nominated and I think it will win the category. It was witty and kind of dark yet childish enough that kids enjoyed it! I personally loved 'Rio' (the cute story about the two blue birds, you know the one!) but it wasn't nominated for Best Animated Feature. It was however nominated for Best Original Song! Hooray!


The most surprising thing to me this year (besides stupid 'Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon' being nominated twice) is the film 'Hugo' and its 11 nominations! It astounded me that a children's movie could be so highly recognized! I actually watched it this weekend and wasn't very impressed. The story was kind of strange and it felt pointless to me. I suppose it was just an average children's story. In my opinion doesn't deserve 11 nominations (including Best Picture and Best Director) but who knows? Maybe I wasn't able to grasp its 'deepness'?


Well Reader, that's about all I have to say. I don't want to ramble any more than I already have because 1) I'm about to watch 'War Horse' (nominated for Best Picture) and it's two and a half hours long and 2) I don't want to chase you away from the Oscars! Please please join me on February 26th and watch this amazing awards show! If not, don't fret! I'll be giving me opinions about the winners shortly after! :)  

Eating My Words: Desperate Housewives & Yoga (I'm Sensing a Trend)

Just as the title says, I'm really starting to sense a trend! I've had to majorly 'eat my words' three times since I got to Norge and I'm really not liking it! I'm so used to being right all the time (shut up Jess) and this whole being wrong thing is getting annoying! I've had two more realizations about things I assumed would be stupid/a waste of time and now I've had to openly admit that I was wrong. You know what they say about assuming right? Well if this is Jess reading, she's probably loving the fact that it did indeed make an ass out of me! :P As for you kind Reader, I hope you take the time to enjoy hearing about how, yet again, I was wrong. 


First of all, I've been avoiding the show 'Desperate Housewives' since it debuted in 2004. Yes I was only 13 at the time so perhaps that shows why I was so uninterested in the program but still! I held strong and evaded it for seven more years! Now as it comes to a close with its eighth season finishing up in the spring of 2012, I sit avidly watching, already on season 3 (I'll be caught up before it ends, just you watch). So how did this occur you may be wondering? Well first of all you may also be wondering why I was avoiding it so adamantly. I honestly don't have a good answer for that since I love shows with gossip, big twists, cliff hangers and amazing characters/actors. 'Desperate Housewives' has it all! If I could go back in time and tell my 13 old self to give it a try, I definitely would! Each episode is better than the last and they leave you wanting more each time! Yes some of the drama is a bit soap opera-esque (comas, car accidents, affairs GALORE) but I really do feel like it adds something. As for how I started watching this amazingly addictive show, I have to thank my dear friend Lisa! She knew how much I love 'Sex & The City' and 'One Tree Hill' so she knew how much I'd love 'Desperate Housewives' and man was she right! Thanks Lisa, I owe you a show when I get home!


Ah yoga. I tried SO HARD to not like you. I really did. Even while my friends insisted that it was fun and that LuLu Lemon was worth every penny, I resisted. While the different forms of yoga have been trending with all the age classes lately, I have put up a front. (Geez I sound like such a hipster. Even as I type this I'm thinking to myself, "Yoga and Desperate Housewives are SO mainstream." What has become of me?! Next I'll be listening to bands no one's heard of and turning vegan! NO. I will not allow it! But I digress...) Yes I have finally tried yoga and I admit it. Everyone was right. It's very fun and it's a great workout! Thank goodness for all the YouTube videos and all the different workouts that are available! Now all I need is a mat! 


Well Reader, did you enjoy that little admission of falseness? I know you did because if it were me reading this in your place I would be basking in it! But that's just me! I certainly hope there won't be many more of these realizations any time soon! There's only so much wrongness I can stand! But hey, I did get a great new show and form of exercise out of it! That's looking on the bright side! Hooray for me! As always Reader, thanks for reading and thanks for thinking of me! I'm thinking of you all and missing you greatly! Remember to keep track of me and my voyages in Norge on my other blog! :) <3 

Eating My Words: Curse You HIMYM

For a few years now, people have been telling me to watch the much loved sitcom 'How I Met Your Mother'. It was just one of those shows that was always on TV to me and it wasn't high on my priority list. In fact, the premise of the show infuriated me! The main character is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother, to me this shouldn't take seven seasons (and it's still going). But friends and family still insisted that I give it a try. (Even my Dad and Karina caught up to the current season.) So after watching all seven seasons of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' (great show and it's still going for a couple more seasons), I put aside my feelings of disinterest and started watching. I have now caught up to the current season (season seven) and despite better judgment I am admitting defeat. The show has reeled me in. (This entry may have spoilers... Just an fyi!)


I immediately disliked the main character Ted. He's just SO annoying and dorky and the worst part is that he actually thinks he's cool. It seems to me that main characters of shows lately have become more and more annoying while the other characters rise up to the occasion and rock it. Needless to say I only kept watching HIMYM because of Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segal. Those two are legen, wait for it, dary! Without them the show would have failed. Ted is too annoying to keep an audience's attention. Not to mention in a lot of episodes they want you to feel sorry for him but in reality you just want to laugh because he's such a dork. 


As I mentioned, I have problems with the premise of the show. Ted is telling his children the story of how he met their mother. Ok, cool concept but there are a few problems. One, he tells his kids EVERYTHING. If my dad sat down and told me the tale of his conquests before my mom and what he did in his college days, I'd probably get up and leave before it even began. No teenager wants to hear their parents talk about their sex lives! That's just plain creepy. Second problem, he tells them stuff that has NOTHING to do with how he met their mother. Obviously this is just so the corporate fat cats can make more money off an already popular show by making more episodes but come on. It's not that the episodes aren't funny, it's just that I want to KNOW already! The third problem I am going to dub "the 'Lost' problem". You see dear Reader, 'Lost' (everyone's favorite/least favorite island drama series) held their viewers until the very end not because the show remained amazing until the very end and had us on the edge of our seats. No no, it kept us there because we were so desperate to know what happens at the end. HIMYM is exactly the same. I have now watched the seven seasons and I plan to continue on watching but really, I don't have a choice now! I've dedicated SO much time in finding out of Ted meets his wife and the future mother of his kids that I now NEED to keep watching. Nice move corporate fat cats, nice move.


So for those of you who are at the moment laughing at me and my conforming to the ways of HIMYM, congratulations. You were indeed right. This show really is funny and really does hook in an audience. I will no longer judge those of you who enjoy this show on a weekly basis because guess what? I'll be joining you. I am going to 'stick to my guns' about the whole "Lost problem" but hey, if it works, it works. As long as NPH and Mr. Segal are cast members and they EVENTUALLY tell us the answer, I will be watching until the end!

New Year's Resolutions

So first of all let me have it Reader! You've probably assumed by now that I've given up blogging. On the contrary, I have not given up blogging. In fact I've even created a new blog documenting my current voyage overseas. If you wish to read that particular blog, you can view it on my profile (The rants of a semi-crazed student... i Norge). As for this blog, yes it is still running and I still plan on ranting and raving. Today's entry is one that I'm surprised I haven't previously discussed. It has to do with New Year's Resolutions. I understand that these are a staple in our society but to me they seem almost pointless. I'll explain my reasons, give me a second!


Every year I get asked what my New Year's Resolutions are and ever year I usually come up with something along the lines of 'eat healthier', 'increase my GPA', 'spend more time with friends', etc. but I feel like these are only words. I have never really gotten into the whole New Year's Resolutions thing. It's not because I don't want to eat healthier, increase my GPA and or spend more time with friends! No no dear Reader! I would love to do all those things (actually I have started eating quite a bit healthier, as for the friends and GPA perhaps that should wait until I get back home)! It's just that, to me, it shouldn't be something we randomly decided just because it's the 1st of January. If you truly want to start eating healthier, why wait? Why not start today? (Today being a bad example since it's the 11th of January and most people have probably already started their New Year's Resolutions.)


Now most of you know me quite well and are probably about to ask yourselves if I'm judging you and your current resolutions. Of course not! By all means, please have resolutions and go through with them (unless it's a resolutions to become a serial killer in which case I'd have to advise against it)! I am not saying that people shouldn't have goals! Goals are what drive us to become better people! I have many goals! I just don't feel the need to state them to the world on January 1st all the while singing 'Old Long Syne' (you know the one... Should old acquaintance be forgot nah nah nah...). Although that really is a catchy song. But I digress! My favorite New Year's Resolution has to be the 'I'm going to the gym every single day'! It's always super crowded at the gym through January but slowly people start to lose interest and come February all the good machines are once again open! Hooray, finally access to the ellipticals! 


Anywho Reader, I hope this quick little rant hasn't discouraged you if you have your own resolutions! Please don't think that I'm not supporting them or something like that! Again, I think it's great for everyone to have goals. I'm just saying that it shouldn't have to be New Year's Eve to decide upon these goals, why not do it on October 17th? Not as catchy I suppose...