Wow! And I thought WE were patriotic!!
There is nothing like Australia Day...not anywhere, at least, that I've been. Bastille Day is good fun, the 4th of July is always nice, but nowhere else on earth have I seen burger patties in the shape of the country. That's right. Australia shaped burgers. I wish I had brought my camera along to the grocery store that day...
I was with Denise, and her sister Helen. Helen's partner was in the casino and we also watched his son, an 11 year old Kiwi boy, of all things! So I spent my first Australia Day with a Kiwi...go figure. A radio station actually hosted the event, so all the music was in time with the fireworks- and such a great addition! They played all Aussie artists, including Ben Lee, "We're All in This Together". Loves it.
I actually cried for a bit, during Forever Young. That song always strikes a chord with me, and patriotism is always beautiful. There was a HUGE Australian flag being flown behind a helocopter and I just thought, "this is what being proud of who you are and where you come from is all about." They were happy tears, shed in awe of the situation and realization of how lucky I was to be spending January 26th with such good people in such a great setting.
It was my first, but hopefully not my last!
About Me
- Angry Marilyn
- Just your average 20-year old American girl, living in New Zealand, eating peanut butter out of the jar, and listening to the same song on repeat for days and days...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Top Romantic Destinations
After having a conversation with my host parents and sister about the most romantic cities in the world, we were all propelled to research the subject via the most accurate way to do so: Google.
Our initial predictions varied depending on sex and age, the 13 year old girl said Paris, the mother in her mid-forties said Prague, her husband also said Paris and I automatically thought of Barcelona...
Also on the list of romantic cities:
San Fransisco
Copenhagen
Vancouver
Agra
These are all based on our own individual experiences and expectations of course. But we were quite surprised by the first site that came up when we Googled "the most romantic city in the world". Make a list for yourself and see how it compares...
http://www.2beinlove.com/romantic-places.htm
Our initial predictions varied depending on sex and age, the 13 year old girl said Paris, the mother in her mid-forties said Prague, her husband also said Paris and I automatically thought of Barcelona...
Also on the list of romantic cities:
San Fransisco
Copenhagen
Vancouver
Agra
These are all based on our own individual experiences and expectations of course. But we were quite surprised by the first site that came up when we Googled "the most romantic city in the world". Make a list for yourself and see how it compares...
http://www.2beinlove.com/romantic-places.htm
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Things I want for my birthday!
Hmmmm where should I start?
-Guitar, a cool one I can learn on
-Harmonica, a nice one I can keep forever and remember as the coolest 21st present I ever received
-Sheets for my bed! I don't have a bed yet, so don't rush off to get me any before I know the size...
-Oh, and on that note, how about a nice 2-bedroom flat in the city that's under 300 per week and includes utilities?
-Yoga classes!!
-Would someone actually buy all my Uni books for me this semester? Please?
-A way to transfer music from one iPod hard-drive onto another iPod...it can be via a computer, I'm not picky!
-Gift cards for groceries/clothes/Swing lessons
-Concert tickets to see Kelly Clarkson, woohoo!
-A nice pretty new phone....*sigh*
That's all for now, I'll update when I think of things between now and the 9th!!
-Guitar, a cool one I can learn on
-Harmonica, a nice one I can keep forever and remember as the coolest 21st present I ever received
-Sheets for my bed! I don't have a bed yet, so don't rush off to get me any before I know the size...
-Oh, and on that note, how about a nice 2-bedroom flat in the city that's under 300 per week and includes utilities?
-Yoga classes!!
-Would someone actually buy all my Uni books for me this semester? Please?
-A way to transfer music from one iPod hard-drive onto another iPod...it can be via a computer, I'm not picky!
-Gift cards for groceries/clothes/Swing lessons
-Concert tickets to see Kelly Clarkson, woohoo!
-A nice pretty new phone....*sigh*
That's all for now, I'll update when I think of things between now and the 9th!!
Rottnest Island
I went to Rottnest Island last Tuesday!
What's that you say? You've never HEARD of Rottnest Island? Well, your knowledge of Western Australian geography is obviously not up to scratch, but I will take pity on your poor, under-educated self and fill you in.
Rottnest Island is 18km off the coast of Fremantle, a neighborhood in Perth. The ferry takes about half an hour, or an hour and a half if you travel from downtown. Doing it this way also costs $20 more, and I think that money is better spent on ice cream in Freo, or on the island itself.
Once you get there, you have the option of renting bicycles, taking a bus or train tour, or even walking. Its total area is only 19km squared, and the paths are definitely doable by foot if you're up to it. Be warned beforehand though, bring plenty of water and snacks, as there are very few places around the island where you can purchase aforementioned sustenance.
**interesting sidenote** I ran out of water after a few hours of walking, and when I got to the Island supermarket (the size of which is proportional to the island itself, keep in mind) I bought a litre of red Powerade and then drank all of it in one sitting. Probably the most orgasmic experience of my week, and without a doubt my best Powerade moment EVER.
Rottnest Island, called Wadjemup by Aboriginals and Rotto by slang-loving Aussies, is probably most famous for its quokkas- the half-rat half-kangaroo like marsupials that can be found there and there alone. They're cute, and certainly not shy at all. They'll come right up to you and start licking their fingers, letting you pet them. They're not particularly endangered but because they live on one small island in the entire world I suppose they're considered to be quite rare. So they've never been hunted, nor do they have very many natural predators on the island.
Overall, it was a really good day and I would highly recommend it as a day-trip from Perth or even to spend a few nights in the hotel or rent a self-contained unit for the family. The beaches are wonderful, there are plenty of trails to explore and no city distractions to bring you down.
What's that you say? You've never HEARD of Rottnest Island? Well, your knowledge of Western Australian geography is obviously not up to scratch, but I will take pity on your poor, under-educated self and fill you in.
Rottnest Island is 18km off the coast of Fremantle, a neighborhood in Perth. The ferry takes about half an hour, or an hour and a half if you travel from downtown. Doing it this way also costs $20 more, and I think that money is better spent on ice cream in Freo, or on the island itself.
Once you get there, you have the option of renting bicycles, taking a bus or train tour, or even walking. Its total area is only 19km squared, and the paths are definitely doable by foot if you're up to it. Be warned beforehand though, bring plenty of water and snacks, as there are very few places around the island where you can purchase aforementioned sustenance.
**interesting sidenote** I ran out of water after a few hours of walking, and when I got to the Island supermarket (the size of which is proportional to the island itself, keep in mind) I bought a litre of red Powerade and then drank all of it in one sitting. Probably the most orgasmic experience of my week, and without a doubt my best Powerade moment EVER.
Rottnest Island, called Wadjemup by Aboriginals and Rotto by slang-loving Aussies, is probably most famous for its quokkas- the half-rat half-kangaroo like marsupials that can be found there and there alone. They're cute, and certainly not shy at all. They'll come right up to you and start licking their fingers, letting you pet them. They're not particularly endangered but because they live on one small island in the entire world I suppose they're considered to be quite rare. So they've never been hunted, nor do they have very many natural predators on the island.
Overall, it was a really good day and I would highly recommend it as a day-trip from Perth or even to spend a few nights in the hotel or rent a self-contained unit for the family. The beaches are wonderful, there are plenty of trails to explore and no city distractions to bring you down.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Princess and the Frog...SMR
(For those of you who haven't already figured it out, SMR stands for summer movie review. Okay, got it? Good.)
As a girl who grew up watching Disney movies, and especially loving the ones that involved Princesses falling in love with handsome Princes in far-away magical lands, I had not been this excited to see a movie in a long, long time. And sure enough, Disney didn't let me down.
Basically, think basic The Frog Prince story line, add a cup of Gnawlins, a few table spoons of all the African-American culture that Disney sort of skipped out on over the years, and a pinch of Shrek...and you got yourself the movie.
60-second break down (but you have to say it really fast to do it in 60 seconds): Prince cut off from family has no funds and must marry rich lady to survive, gets turned into a frog by a witch doctor and believes he must kiss a princess to change back. Poor waitress dreams of opening up her own restaurant one day, can't afford downpayment, really sad, meets aforementioned frog on balcony and agrees to kiss him if he then helps her with the funds for the restaurant, but by some weird twist of fate (here comes the pinch of Shrek) she herself turns into a frog and they go off in search of Mme. Odie to turn them back. They have lots of adventures down the bayou, meet Cajun fireflies and a jazz-loving alligator. Of course they do, because, it's Disney, so who else were they going to meet? Anyways, back to the story, Mme. Odie says kiss Southern Belle blond girl aka poor waitress' childhood friend by midnight and they'll both turn back but the frogs realize they're in love with eachother, defeat witch doctor, decide to stay frogs, they get married (because frogs can do that too, you know) and then they kiss, but because she's now a princess it means he's kissing a princess so they both turn human again anyways and open up a restaurant and live happily ever after.
*deep breath in*
Questions though: What race is this prince, exactly? He has a French accent, his name is Naveen which sounds kind of Middle Eastern to me, and he's from the fictional Maldonia...which sounds kind of African to me. Hmmm, not that it matters what race he is, just curious.
The music was good, but nothing at all compared to The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. I think the best part was actually the scenery, which is weird, I know, for an animated film, but I think they portrayed the French Quarter of New Orleans as well as the Louisiana bayou really well. My favorite character is, by far, the blond, obnoxious Southern Belle who wants nothing more than to marry a prince and become a real, live Princess. In most movies she would be the antagonist, or at least an evil character, but Disney has moved beyond that- she was extremely wealthy, extremely demanding and extremely kind-hearted, in the end sacrificing her own dream of marrying a Prince for her friend. Although the whole, "here, let me kiss the man you love so that you can get married as humans" is also a bit weird. And then when it didn't work she kissed him like another twelve times to make sure...
Interesting note though, while they're live action films and computer animated ones have become more and more violent/mature to cater to today's audience's, TPATF's levels of violence and scariness was about equal to that of Snow White's...in fact, I'd actually say the Evil Queen in Snow White was far scarier that the Witch Doctor in this film. Then again, the last time I watched Snow White I was probably about seven...
Anyways, if you're like me and have a special place in your heart for films such as these, I definitely wouldn't consider the cost of a movie ticket a waste. The accents are colorful, the music is catchy and fun, the characters are loveable, the animated is old-fashioned and refreshing, the story is great...and it's Disney. So how can you hate it? 4 out of 5 stars.
Side-note: Saw the preview for the next Toy Story. Andy's going off to college?! Uh-oh, I wonder what will happen to Woody and friends...that's another movie I'll wait in line to see in cinemas. I can remember seeing the first one in cinemas when it came out on a special date with my dad. :-) Jeeze...what was that, about 15 years ago?!?! I'm growing old!!
Oh! Which makes me remember...I felt so out of place in the cinema...everyone there was either aged 8 or under, or the parent of someone aged 8 or under...
And they all lived happily ever after...
As a girl who grew up watching Disney movies, and especially loving the ones that involved Princesses falling in love with handsome Princes in far-away magical lands, I had not been this excited to see a movie in a long, long time. And sure enough, Disney didn't let me down.
Basically, think basic The Frog Prince story line, add a cup of Gnawlins, a few table spoons of all the African-American culture that Disney sort of skipped out on over the years, and a pinch of Shrek...and you got yourself the movie.
60-second break down (but you have to say it really fast to do it in 60 seconds): Prince cut off from family has no funds and must marry rich lady to survive, gets turned into a frog by a witch doctor and believes he must kiss a princess to change back. Poor waitress dreams of opening up her own restaurant one day, can't afford downpayment, really sad, meets aforementioned frog on balcony and agrees to kiss him if he then helps her with the funds for the restaurant, but by some weird twist of fate (here comes the pinch of Shrek) she herself turns into a frog and they go off in search of Mme. Odie to turn them back. They have lots of adventures down the bayou, meet Cajun fireflies and a jazz-loving alligator. Of course they do, because, it's Disney, so who else were they going to meet? Anyways, back to the story, Mme. Odie says kiss Southern Belle blond girl aka poor waitress' childhood friend by midnight and they'll both turn back but the frogs realize they're in love with eachother, defeat witch doctor, decide to stay frogs, they get married (because frogs can do that too, you know) and then they kiss, but because she's now a princess it means he's kissing a princess so they both turn human again anyways and open up a restaurant and live happily ever after.
*deep breath in*
Questions though: What race is this prince, exactly? He has a French accent, his name is Naveen which sounds kind of Middle Eastern to me, and he's from the fictional Maldonia...which sounds kind of African to me. Hmmm, not that it matters what race he is, just curious.
The music was good, but nothing at all compared to The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. I think the best part was actually the scenery, which is weird, I know, for an animated film, but I think they portrayed the French Quarter of New Orleans as well as the Louisiana bayou really well. My favorite character is, by far, the blond, obnoxious Southern Belle who wants nothing more than to marry a prince and become a real, live Princess. In most movies she would be the antagonist, or at least an evil character, but Disney has moved beyond that- she was extremely wealthy, extremely demanding and extremely kind-hearted, in the end sacrificing her own dream of marrying a Prince for her friend. Although the whole, "here, let me kiss the man you love so that you can get married as humans" is also a bit weird. And then when it didn't work she kissed him like another twelve times to make sure...
Interesting note though, while they're live action films and computer animated ones have become more and more violent/mature to cater to today's audience's, TPATF's levels of violence and scariness was about equal to that of Snow White's...in fact, I'd actually say the Evil Queen in Snow White was far scarier that the Witch Doctor in this film. Then again, the last time I watched Snow White I was probably about seven...
Anyways, if you're like me and have a special place in your heart for films such as these, I definitely wouldn't consider the cost of a movie ticket a waste. The accents are colorful, the music is catchy and fun, the characters are loveable, the animated is old-fashioned and refreshing, the story is great...and it's Disney. So how can you hate it? 4 out of 5 stars.
Side-note: Saw the preview for the next Toy Story. Andy's going off to college?! Uh-oh, I wonder what will happen to Woody and friends...that's another movie I'll wait in line to see in cinemas. I can remember seeing the first one in cinemas when it came out on a special date with my dad. :-) Jeeze...what was that, about 15 years ago?!?! I'm growing old!!
Oh! Which makes me remember...I felt so out of place in the cinema...everyone there was either aged 8 or under, or the parent of someone aged 8 or under...
And they all lived happily ever after...
My Top 10 Favorite Songs of the Naughties
In no particular order...and no repeat artists...
1) As Lovers Go, Dashboard Confessional
2) Come Clean, Hilary Duff
3) Love You Madly, Cake
4) She Will Be Loved, Maroon 5
5) Best of You, Foo Fighters
6) Nineteen, Tegan and Sara
7) Over My Head, The Fray
8) The Scientist, Coldplay
9) Calling You, Blue October
10) Still Fighting It, Ben Folds
Okay, this was a lot harder than I thought it would be...I think we tend to focus on the most recent songs, so looking back at bands like Cake, who's album Fashion Nugget (released in 2001) rocked my world, although not until 2004 when I was in high school, was interesting. Wow, run-on sentence.
I suppose these are songs that I liked during the last ten years and still like today, although they are not my top ten favorite songs at the moment that happen to have been released in the last ten years. Does that make sense? Nor is this a list of my favorite songs DURING the last ten years- ie, you won't see any N*Sync on the list.
Honorable mentions go to...
Red Red Red, Fiona Apple
You and Me, Lifehouse
Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Jet
Fidelity, Regina Spektor
Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
I'm sure I'll wake up tonight and think, "Oh dammit! I forgot about such and such!" But the beauty of this is that I can go back and edit it whenever I want. For now, this is it though. What're yours?
1) As Lovers Go, Dashboard Confessional
2) Come Clean, Hilary Duff
3) Love You Madly, Cake
4) She Will Be Loved, Maroon 5
5) Best of You, Foo Fighters
6) Nineteen, Tegan and Sara
7) Over My Head, The Fray
8) The Scientist, Coldplay
9) Calling You, Blue October
10) Still Fighting It, Ben Folds
Okay, this was a lot harder than I thought it would be...I think we tend to focus on the most recent songs, so looking back at bands like Cake, who's album Fashion Nugget (released in 2001) rocked my world, although not until 2004 when I was in high school, was interesting. Wow, run-on sentence.
I suppose these are songs that I liked during the last ten years and still like today, although they are not my top ten favorite songs at the moment that happen to have been released in the last ten years. Does that make sense? Nor is this a list of my favorite songs DURING the last ten years- ie, you won't see any N*Sync on the list.
Honorable mentions go to...
Red Red Red, Fiona Apple
You and Me, Lifehouse
Are You Gonna Be My Girl, Jet
Fidelity, Regina Spektor
Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
I'm sure I'll wake up tonight and think, "Oh dammit! I forgot about such and such!" But the beauty of this is that I can go back and edit it whenever I want. For now, this is it though. What're yours?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Zombieland...Summer Movie Review
Okay, before I start, just watch the trailer quickly, yeah?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW3RHnJzHjY&feature=related
Now, does this movie look like it would be the best movie I would see so far this summer? Answer: No, Marilyn, no it really doesn't.
But it totally was.
Zombieland takes place in a not-so-distant future United States where Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) are driving across the country together in order to...actually, that part's a little fuzzy to me. I'm not quite sure the film did a good job of indicating WHERE/WHY they were going where they were going but it really doesn't matter because along the way they are hi-jacked by Witchita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who are headed towards California, and more specifically, an amusement park where Little Rock can experience for the first time what it means to be a kid.
Does it sound like some kind of outrageous never-been-thought-of-before plot to you? Well, that's because it isn't, but it isn't the story that makes this such a good film. In fact, the ending kind of leaves you hanging like, "Well now what're they gonna do?" a la The Graduate...except maybe a little different I guess because there are Zombies.
The movie is just downright hilarious; I honestly can't remember laughing so hard in a film. Eisenberg and Harrelson are fantastic together, they really compliment each other well. From Eisenberg's fear of clowns and geeky lust for Stone's character, to Harrelson's obscure cravings for Twinkies and his opinion that Bill Murray is the greatest actor alive, these two totally have what it takes to keep the entire audience in stitches for the whole movie. Stone and Breslin do their fair bit as well, with their sarcasm and biting humor.
Anyways, final notes: 4.5 out of five stars. A hilarious pleasant surprise, even those with queasy stomachs can't afford to miss this one- you can cover your eyes during the gory bits. It's still totally worth it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW3RHnJzHjY&feature=related
Now, does this movie look like it would be the best movie I would see so far this summer? Answer: No, Marilyn, no it really doesn't.
But it totally was.
Zombieland takes place in a not-so-distant future United States where Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) are driving across the country together in order to...actually, that part's a little fuzzy to me. I'm not quite sure the film did a good job of indicating WHERE/WHY they were going where they were going but it really doesn't matter because along the way they are hi-jacked by Witchita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who are headed towards California, and more specifically, an amusement park where Little Rock can experience for the first time what it means to be a kid.
Does it sound like some kind of outrageous never-been-thought-of-before plot to you? Well, that's because it isn't, but it isn't the story that makes this such a good film. In fact, the ending kind of leaves you hanging like, "Well now what're they gonna do?" a la The Graduate...except maybe a little different I guess because there are Zombies.
The movie is just downright hilarious; I honestly can't remember laughing so hard in a film. Eisenberg and Harrelson are fantastic together, they really compliment each other well. From Eisenberg's fear of clowns and geeky lust for Stone's character, to Harrelson's obscure cravings for Twinkies and his opinion that Bill Murray is the greatest actor alive, these two totally have what it takes to keep the entire audience in stitches for the whole movie. Stone and Breslin do their fair bit as well, with their sarcasm and biting humor.
Anyways, final notes: 4.5 out of five stars. A hilarious pleasant surprise, even those with queasy stomachs can't afford to miss this one- you can cover your eyes during the gory bits. It's still totally worth it.
It's Complicated...Summer Movie Review
The film stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin in a sort of middle-aged (dare I say AARP-aged) love triangle about a married man (Baldwin) who tries to rekindle a relationship with his ex-wife and the woman (Streep) who is torn between the man that left her ten years ago and the dorky, insecure architect (Martin) who's building her new house. Like any rom-com you can predict from the beginning who she ends up with, although there ARE a few moments when you start to doubt your original decision...
The acting was superb, particularly from the three main characters, as well as the supporting cast; John Krasinski (aka Jim from The Office) was a major source of comedic relief, as well as just an all-around American cutie. Another character I found quite enjoyable to watch was Lake Bell, and it wasn't just for her incredible legs. She plays Agnes, the younger, new wife of the Alec Baldwin character. It was hard not to feel sorry for her, even if she did start out as the "other" women, as she slowly watches her husband fall back into love with his ex-wife.
A few things I couldn't grasp, however, were the success and appearance of the characters. I thought it was unrealistic how she could make that much food for breakfast with her family, maintain a large vegetable garden, run a huge bakery in the city etc etc. It's a little distracting when you're constantly thinking, "Well, that's just silly, she couldn't have made all that food in only fifteen minutes as the film would suggest..."
Another part I didn't like: all the sex. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE sex...but I'm just not sure I feel comfortable watching post-coital interactions between two people in their late fifties. Nor can I relate or appreciate discussions about the importance of having sex and closed up vaginas between a group of yappy women of the same age. That, perhaps, is just a 'me' thing, as I have discussed the film with two women in their late forties/early fifties, and neither seemed to have an issue with it.
Overall I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, props for originality (Lord knows it's nice not to see Kate Hudson and some cheesey-faced male co-star in every single romantic comedy these days), and great acting. I suppose that's what you get though when you cast multiple award-winning actors in a movie that probably won't win any awards. I'll be in no rush to rent it/buy it when it's released on DVD, but I'll definitely recommend it to all my mother's divorced friends...eat up, ladies!
The acting was superb, particularly from the three main characters, as well as the supporting cast; John Krasinski (aka Jim from The Office) was a major source of comedic relief, as well as just an all-around American cutie. Another character I found quite enjoyable to watch was Lake Bell, and it wasn't just for her incredible legs. She plays Agnes, the younger, new wife of the Alec Baldwin character. It was hard not to feel sorry for her, even if she did start out as the "other" women, as she slowly watches her husband fall back into love with his ex-wife.
A few things I couldn't grasp, however, were the success and appearance of the characters. I thought it was unrealistic how she could make that much food for breakfast with her family, maintain a large vegetable garden, run a huge bakery in the city etc etc. It's a little distracting when you're constantly thinking, "Well, that's just silly, she couldn't have made all that food in only fifteen minutes as the film would suggest..."
Another part I didn't like: all the sex. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE sex...but I'm just not sure I feel comfortable watching post-coital interactions between two people in their late fifties. Nor can I relate or appreciate discussions about the importance of having sex and closed up vaginas between a group of yappy women of the same age. That, perhaps, is just a 'me' thing, as I have discussed the film with two women in their late forties/early fifties, and neither seemed to have an issue with it.
Overall I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, props for originality (Lord knows it's nice not to see Kate Hudson and some cheesey-faced male co-star in every single romantic comedy these days), and great acting. I suppose that's what you get though when you cast multiple award-winning actors in a movie that probably won't win any awards. I'll be in no rush to rent it/buy it when it's released on DVD, but I'll definitely recommend it to all my mother's divorced friends...eat up, ladies!
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