August!

Wow it's August and it's been ages since I wrote. I doubt anyone still reads this but if you do I want to tell you that I'm not dead. I've just ended my internship (a terrific one) with 8 Days and am now lounging at home, hanging out with friends and family and just chilling out. Life can't be much better than this.

A Month to Home!

I realize I don't really say much about what I do in school over here, mostly because I'm afraid it will bore all of you, and plus I don't have any pretty pictures or anything. But just to explain why I haven't been blogging that much, I've been quite busy this semester, been spending most my days doing mostly Japanese and French homework, preparing for upcoming, once again, Japanese and French tests and exams, playing polo (twice a week now and I'm getting better at cantering), working for a professor and other miscellaneous activities.

This week, for example, is the Ivy Film Festival, the largest student film festival in the US and I assume the world and I'm going to watch a movie tonight - 500 Days of Summer. Should be interesting. A couple days ago I spent the afternoon playing polo and then tomorrow I have dinner at a Prof's place, on Saturday a couple of us will be going down to MIT to meet the other Singaporeans in the region and to play some games. So even though I don't have a lot of regular work per se I've been doing a lot of stuff like that.

But even so I've found time in between for my favorite pasttime - watching dvds on my computer, like this one:

I suppose everyone already knows what this movie is about - a dog and his life with an average growing family, basically. Of course the "average couple" = Owen Wilson and Jen Aniston and seriously how can they be average. I watched it thinking it was one of those sweet, funny movies and it really was sweet and funny but also incredibly, incredibly SAD. I cried so hard at the end I actually had to pause the movie to take a tissue and I swear my face and eyes were swollen by the end. Goodness!! I guess this movie really deserved all the boatloads of money it got at the box office even if it wasn't supremely impressive if you really must be anal about it.

On a sidenote, also watched Quantum of Solace, and even though Daniel Craig really is a hot piece of ass, and it's a good thing that M (Judi Dench) has a lot more screentime in this movie, everyone was right - not worth watching!

Ueno Juri + Oscars

So here's my new discovery - Ueno Juri.

I don't think she's a new discovery for the Japanese but well I have most recently discovered her in the RongRong recommendation Nodame Cantabile and Keisuke (suitemate) recommendation Last Friends and this woman is an AMAZINGLY versatile actress!!

I mean it's how difficult to act as a xiao zha bor in one show and then a brooding motorcross rider lesbian in another?!? And she's totally unrecognizable if you don't look for her name, she's that good. I think give her another few years and she'll rival Meryl Streep.

Which brings me to...

This is actually the first time I've watched The Oscars live and in its entirety!! Actually I wanted to watch it because Hugh Jackman was the host this year (great job he did but I think Ellen did a better job a couple years back) and I sat at my computer and waited for what must have been for a couple hours for the traditional host's opening piece and then after having dinner I went to the bathroom and chatted for 5 minutes with my suitemate Sarah AND THEN THE DAMN SHOW STARTED and half his opening number was over by the time I got out. Luckily I still managed to see the part with Anne Hathaway.

Which reminds me...my favorite dresses of the night:

Anne Hathaway's was quite sweet I thought, and one of the best in the crowd this year though everyone was wearing quite normal stuff not like Bjork's swan suit a couple years ago.

But my favorite is still this:

Now I'm not normally a fan of dresses cos they are so troublesome and itchy but this is really beautiful. This dress is apparently (according to the interview prior to the ceremony) 60 years old and Penélope Cruz chose it 8 years ago at a store and she went back this year and found it still there waiting for her. Isn't that sweet? I think it's amazing and I'm glad she won Best Supporting for Vicky Cristina Barcelona even though I haven't watched it but I will.

And of course the stars of the show are:

Angie and Brad!!!! Woohoo!! Okay they were being quite stuck up and not talking to anyone on the red carpet but come on la they are Angie and Brad and even though they didn't win anything at the Oscars they're still huge. And Angie was smiling and laughing this time even though she didn't win! Unlike in the previous Critics Choices Awards when her face turned black when Anne Hathaway won the award (alongside Meryl Streep). But if you have watched Rachel Getting Married which is what Anne won the award for I think you'll know why la, it's not very spectacular and we all know Anne's more capable than that.

And more of Brad and Angie cos I like.

Oh Goddess!

Awards wise the pace of the ceremony was quick so it was quite fun to watch. Also pretty glad that Kate Winslet and Sean Penn got the best actress and best actor awards, even though I haven't watched either of their shows I fully intend to and I believe they were brilliant in them. And of course I guess no one would disagree that Heath Ledger fully deserved his best supporting actor award. It's really really too bad he's no longer here, sigh.

So now I have a list of absolutely must-watch movies by the end of this year:

1. Revolutionary Road (Because of Kate Winslet)
2. The Reader (Kate Winslet)
3. Milk (Sean Penn)
4. Doubt (Meryl Streep!!!)
5. Entre les Murs or The Class (Winner of the Palm D'Or and nominated for Best Foreign Film)
6. Changeling (ANGIE)
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T WATCHED THIS)
8. Slumdog Millionare (Just cos)
9. Departures (Japanese film, won Best Foreign Film)

To Appease my fans!

My very free suitemate whom I shall not name has most recently complained about the lack of activity on my blog. Well it's not my fault that I am too busy right?

Anyway it was my birthday N days ago and I turned 21 without much fuss or fanfare. Actually it was quite the crap on the day itself because I had to mug for the test and presentation the next day. But anyhow thanks to all who remembered, I do appreciate it especially because I took it off facebook and all. And thanks to those who actually bought gifts haha, I do like the Myléne Farmer CD you bought Suitemate, it's very suite/sweet (haha) of you.

And Shit you still owe me a present don't think I have forgotten.

But Suitemate and I did go for an expensive French dinner (combined bday celebrations) which was quite nice but tasted like Chinese food (?!). She tried the veal and I ate the bouillabaisse (how to spell) because Hermione mentioned it and I wanted to see what it was like haha. And then we ate the Crême Brulee which was très bien très bien and damn sweet but very nice! Quite worth it I think even though it was ultra ex.

Other than that I've just been watching Japanese dramas. Keisuke, my other suitemate recommended Last Friends which I am watching now. Jiadi recommended Proposal Diasakusen which is quite cute (the guy is at least). And I re-watched some parts of Hana Kimi because Ashiya Mizuki is so pretty! And Nakatsu is also pretty good looking.


The people from Hana Kimi (Nakatsu's on the left)
(Dude from Proposal Daisakusen)

Hey don't think I'm doing all this for leisure okay, I'm trying to work on my Japanese. You think I so free to watch tv for fun is it.