My Blueberry Nights...

"The story of a woman who takes the long route instead of the short one to meet up with the man she loves." Wong Kar Wai.

As I looked up at the window, I realised I was on the wrong side......

Maybe one of them ran off with someone else. Maybe the feelings just went away....

The company is great, the movie is great and the cast is even greater....

You have two of the smartest hollywood actresses Rachel Weisz, who graduated from the University of Cambridge and the oh-so-pretty Natalie Portman (my fav Hollywood actress along with Charlize Theron & Ashley Judd) who graduated from Harvard University. And how not to watch the movie when eye-candy Jude Law is in it.. (though I try to ignore the fact that he's not exactly a faithful person in real life). It's always nice to see both Natalie & Jude act in the same movie. First, it was Cold Mountain, then Closer and now My Blueberry Nights.

To my amazement too, the movie features one of my fav singer, Norah Jones. It was her screen debut and I say she did a pretty good job. She sang "The Story" in the movie soundtrack which will be released in Feb. Looking forward to it...

But the thing that really caught my attention was that this movie was directed by Wong Kar Wai, who is directing his first feature length English-language film. This is one director whose movies I'm drawn to... Chungking Express, Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for love & 2046. There's something about his trademark stylistic direction that appeals to me (though it sometimes irks people who view it as draggy). But I see the beauty in slowly revealing the plot and really fleshing out the characters, bringing out the subtleties of their emotions till you connect with them, feel them and experience their 'reel'-ality.

Without reading the synopsis, I knew this is the kind of movie that I will watch.... This is the kind I know YOU will watch too. Perhaps, this is what YOU can do on your free Saturdays...

So what's this movie abt?? (Warning: Spoiler ahead)

It's a story about Elizabeth (Norah Jones) who upon her breakup, met a new friend, a soul-mate, a cafe owner (Jude Law) from a foreign land. Shortly after, without saying goodbye, she just left. She sets out on a journey without a destination, leaving behind a life of memories and her new friend, who relentlessly tried to contact her. Why did she leave then? Perhaps to search for something to mend her broken heart. To escape to the furthest places possible..... to avoid the pain... or to avoid making the same mistakes......

Interestingly, while she was waitressing her way through the various States (to save enough to buy herself a car), Elizabeth befriends others whose yearnings and sorrows are greater than hers. They include a troubled cop (David Strathairn) and his estranged wife (Rachel Weisz), and a down-on-her-luck gambler (Natalie Portman) with a reconciliation issue. Through them, Elizabeth begins to see her reflection in others... recognising the true depths of loneliness and emptiness, and that somehow, she is much luckier than them... And through her soul-searching journey, she begins to understand that she had discovered herself and delights in who she is...

After many many days of wandering, close to a year, she decided to go back...

....back for a blueberry pie ...

....back to the Blueberry Nights...

Elizabeth: So what's wrong with the Blueberry Pie?

Jeremy: There's nothing wrong with the Blueberry Pie, just people make other choices. You can't blame the Blueberry Pie, it's just... no one wants it.

Elizabeth: Wait! I want a piece.

As I looked up at the window, I realised I was on the wrong side of the road. I took the longest time to get across that road. But it's not how long it takes to get across that matters, but who's waiting on the other side that really does...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Goodbye doesn't always mean the end. Sometimes, it means a new beginning.

~ Elizabeth~

Goodbye 2007... Hello 2008!

I had an entry entitled 'Goodbye 2005... Hello 2006! ... Don't ever look back...' . But an oldman advised me to "actually do look back as reflecting upon the past gives more meaning to what's happening now and hope for the future". And hence for 2008, I shall do just that. I guess in life's journey, everything happens for a reason. And I'm slowly seeing the reasons...

2007 had been a good year... perhaps I'm biased... after all, it contains my fav number 7.

I managed to visit 3 countries (my most ever) in one year.... Australia, Holland & France...

I also did something that I swore I would stop after 2005. I went back to dancing after a 2-year hiatus and I'm loving it despite all the bruises on my knees (hmm..a sign of sadomasochism..)

My newly accuired hobby which has been taking up much of my time.. (noooo not Facebook!) has shown improvement too. Really enjoyed my photography trips... very addictive... In fact, I'm planning for June 2008's trip. Hmm.. now all I need is an assistant to help carry my gears.. keke!

I'm also enjoying and becoming more confident in what I do. In fact, in Jul 2008, it'll be 7 years since I joined the Jedi Knighthood.. Time seems to pass so fast especially when you are enjoying them...

So what do I hope for in 2008...

Here are my Top 10 resolutions for 2008 which were selected from a few hundred statements in Facebook:

#1 Build a Snowman...
Haha.. the reason is that I failed thrice in my attempts to see snow. Didn't manage to do that when I was in Nepal during winter, in Melbourne during winter, and in France during winter. I always missed them by a week or so. This 2008, I'll make sure I can definitely find enough snow to build myself a real snowman.

#2 Buy a car
Was so close to getting a Yellow Beetle which was sparked by the movie Transformer.. haha.. lame I know. I was so in loved with Bumble Bee (BB) that I told myself I had to get a yellow car. And the best looking yellow car would, without a doubt, be the Yellow Beetle. I was even planning to force change it's species from a Beetle to a Bee. Alas, it was not meant to be mine... I will have to look for another one more suited for me, give up my BB and let others have a chance to own it.

#3 Wake up earlier
I'm an insomniac. I can't sleep earlier than 2am.. and lately 5am. As such, I tend to wake up late. I've been late for so many morning meetings & dance pracs this holidays. With the school term starting in just two days, I've yet to regulate my sleep patterns. And even if I don't, may I still be able to wake up in time for assembly.

#4 Take more pictures
I enjoy capturing the moments and the sights. But I find that I'm stagnating because I don't seem to go beyond what I normally shoot. I'm so hesistant at doing street photography or capturing portaits of strangers. Also, despite getting my macro lens, I haven't been able to do any macro shots at the Botanical Gardens. Hopefully, 2008 will give me more courage to take pics of people when I'm overseas and that I may see my pic's quality move up a notch.

#5 Get in shape
I was once 40kg when I was in Sec 4 and if I were to see my weight as a share price, I would say that it has been 'bullish' ever since. I'm seeing pregnant women looking slimmer than me. So sad.. I must get in shape. I don't want to be the biggest person on stage in March. 3 more months!!! Exercise!!! Exercise!!! Exercise!!!

#6 Dance and never stop flying
When I saw this statement in facebook, I wonder what that resolution really meant. Seems like an odd combination but I clicked it anyway, and decided to interpret it in my own way. As I said before, I've been dancing since 1996. I've always tried to get my close secondary school friends to attend my performance by saying, "It is the LAST time I'm performing. Watch lah!!!" Haha.. but the last was never the last. But I really meant what I said... I always told myself that I'll be too old to dance and hence would most probably stop. Amazingly, I haven't. But I'm pretty sure that this time round, it would be my ABSOLUTE LAST! Can't imagine me dancing at age 30 amongst the nubile 19 - 25 yr olds. As for the never stop flying, I hope it'll be the case every year. That I get to fly to different places and travel at least twice a year whatever the cost. It used to be free.. but.. oh well..

#7 Move on
Aptly, "move on" is randomly placed as the 7th resolution. Indeed, I shall. For the greater good and for my sanity.

#8 Worry less
I tend to worry be it for my family members, for my friends, for my padawans, for my exams, for my future etc... On hindsight, I feel that it stems from a lack of faith in God, that I do not trust that He'll take care of things at the appropriate time. And perhaps the need in me to be in control.... as with most Leos... When one is not in control, one becomes uncertain with what's going to happen next. And with that uncertainty, there tends to be a cause for worrying. "Worry less" is one resolution I find the hardest to accomplish. After so many years of being the 'kan cheong spider' sort, I don't know how to stop worrying. Hey.. but the resolution is "worry less"... haha.. so it can be considered fulfilled even if I worry, so long as it is lesser than 2007's worries!

#9 Be happy
; p ..... No problemo... just don't make me angry.. haha..

#10 Ssssshhhh... it's a secret.
If it's revealed, it may not happen. I'll keep fighting for it and hopefully, it'll finally happen.

Have hope....