Vacation: London, Paris, Amsterdam.

I'll keep this brief. The trip was amazing. I had a great time. Paris blew everything away, but I enjoyed London and Amsterdam was not too bad either (their food was most appealing).

               

I left on a Friday afternoon from the US and arrived Saturday morning in London and stayed up all day and into the night, so my first day I was awake for about 35 hours. I spent my time basically just walking around the city and just seeing what popped up. I saw some of the typical sights too: Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London Eye, the tower Big Ben is in, museums (outsides only), Piccadelly Square, London Library, St. Paul's Cathedral, and tons of churches and I stumbled across a film being made as well. Only went to one pub. Went to some festival. Saw Digitalism at a club (best concert of the year). I probably walked 30-40 miles on my second day there just looking at everything. Had Indian Food.

                   
Paris was beautiful. Again, saw the typical sights. Since I don't speak the language I didn't do much talking, nor did I get to do much dining since I couldn't read menu's. Survived on Crepes (which is fine by me). Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triumph, Champse Elyssess, Louve, Notre Dame, Bastille, Jim Morrisons grave, Oscar Wilde's grave, Jean Paul Sartre's grave, Samuel Beckett's grave, and probably more things I am forgetting about. Visited sights from the movie Before Sunset. Probably walked just as much if not more than I did in London.

               
Amsterdam is like Vegas, a party city. Hash bars, Red Light District, some restaurant/club area, tourist shopping places, Anne Frank's house (didn't get inside due to it being Yom Kippur), Dam Square. Didn't see as much here or walk as much as there is no comparrison in scale to London and Paris. Was a nice place to check out though. Red Light Girls give you 15 minutes of time and the dollar amount varies based on what you want but from what I gather you most likely pay no more than 50 unless you want to do S&M. I have a shot glass with all the info on it. Some of the women working the windows were absolutely beautiful. Some... not so hot.

Anyway... I had a great time. Would love to go back. Planning on Spain next year.

(Note: I don't know how to spell).

This is for Darth (The Empire invaded London when I was there).


This is for Pigern (Oscar Wilde's tomb).

Topic: Montreal.

*Hello from Montreal, Canada. We are going to leave soon for our train back to Toronto but it has been fun here. Montreal is pretty artsy and very European. Everyone here speaks French but once you say a few words in English they know to switch over. It is quite impressive. Okay I'll include some photos next time I blog.

(A) White Chalk, P J Harvey (2007) grade: A-

The follow-up to Polly Jean's last studio album, 2004's Uh Huh Her, this album is a great departure from the usual PJ we are used to. This album is based around the piano, which combine with PJ's haunting voice to create beautiful tracks. I've only listened a couple times, but already I'm enjoying what I'm hearing. The first single is "When Under Ether", the album is out in the UK today, and out in the US next week (Oct. 2).

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(A) Fantasía Pop, Belanova (2007) grade: A

After being told to check out this Mexican band, I loved their last album, Dulce Beat, a dose of fun infectious electropop in español (they even did a cover of --gasp!-- The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry" on a live album). I eagerly anticipated this new album, especially after listening to the catchy pop tune, "Baila mi corazón". I had to go to Amoeba because Best Buy didn't have the album, but it was well worth the extra trip. The songs are catchy, fun, and even boast a hint of new wave/rock. My favorite track is "Cada que..." Worth checking out, even if you don't speak the language.

**updated the video**

This weekend, I paid $14 to basically scare myself and it was totally worth it. I liked this movie for the fact that the main character is so kick ass!! I don't want to ruin the ending, so I'll just mention that I liked the visual effects and the movie was really scary. I went with 2 of my girl friends and we were huddling together. Oh yeah, I watched it at the Arclight, in the dome....which was pretty cool, cause I've never seen a movie inside the dome before.

(M) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . (David Yates, 2007) Grade: B

Thoughts: Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) must prove to the Ministry of Magic that Lord Voldemort is back without seeming insane. He creates a rebellion of students who teach themselves varies defense methods since their new teacher of defense, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), refuses to teach them anything. This fifth installment of the Harry Potter movie spends no time catching up the audience in what has happened in the last four, which is shame because it can get confusing. The movie was all over the place with some characters being under used and having scenes that felt like filler. I did like Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom quite a bit but disliked Cho Chang (Katie Leung). Oh and I think Emma Waston is trying too hard with her Herminone; but I still like her character. I should really read the books.

(M) Dangerous Liaisons. (Stephen Frears, 1988) Grade: B+

Thoughts: Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and Vicomte Sebastien de Valmont (John Malkovich) are two rich bored aristocrats. To entertain themselves, Isabelle plots a way to ruin an innocent virgin played by a very young Uma Thurman while Vicomte tries to make a devout religious Madame Marie de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer) cheat on her husband with him. To Vicomte’s surprise though what started out as a game of betrayal leads to deep passion and love. Although the film was done over 10 years ago, it was still effective and the acting by all the actors, except for a goofy Keanu Reeves, was amazing. It was nice to see Swoosie Kurtz acting; I loved her in that tv series Sisters.

(M) An Affair To Remember. (Leo McCarey, 1957) Grade: A-

Thoughts: Exact same premise as Love Affair, even the dialogue was similar yet it was a completely different film. I liked how Deborah Kerr played Terry McKay but there were aspects of Irene Dunne’s performance I enjoyed more. Cary Grant was good but Grant played the male lead differently from Michel Marnet version. The movie is pretty sappy but I think it is such a classic in film history you forgive it.

(M) Hot Fuzz. (Edgar Wright, 2007) Grade: B

Thoughts: Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the best cop in London. So good that he gets transferred to a small countryside village called Sandford so the rest of the team won’t look so bad. Once he arrives there he learns the town is very laid back about their law enforcement until a number of the village members start dying off. He suspects murder but can’t seem to prove how the act is being conducted. The ending is interesting and funny. I enjoyed Shaun of the Dead more but this was pretty entertaining as well. Nick Frost as PC Danny Buttman was terrific. Actually the whole cast was great and I loved seeing Martin Freeman again (yay Tim).

Movie Count: 92

Topic: Oh Canada.

*In a few days I'll be on a plane to Toronto, Canada to visit family. I was suppose to see the Cure as well but they had to be divas and postpone their tour until next year. Oh well. I haven't been back to Canada since I was 12 so it will be interesting to see my view of it now that I'm older. I am really looking forward to buying something at the Roots store. Apparently, Roots is a very big brand over there. It should be fun. I'll try to get Pigern to take many pictures so I can blog about it later.

Not sure how many people in the house watch "How I Met Your Mother" and how many people like musicals, particularly, "Les Miserables." But this is hilarious.

(M) Fauteuils d’orchestre (Avenue Montaigne). (Daniele Thompson, 2006) Grade: C+

Thoughts: Jessica (Cecile De France) lands a job at a café near a playhouse, art gallery and concert hall. There she meets an actress, a pianist and a man selling his lifetime art collection. This was a cute French movie for people who have this dreamy perception of Paris and finding love and drinking coffee in a café. I actually didn’t like the main actress much and found the side characters much more entertaining.

(M) Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes). (Alejandro Amenabar, 1997) Grade: B+

Thoughts: Cesar (Eduardo Noriega) is a vain young man who does not appreciates his best friend Pelayo (Fele Martinez) and treats women like objects until he meets Sofia (Penelope Cruz). I saw the remake of this with Tom Cruise and although I do not remember Vanilla Sky very well I have to say I enjoyed this version more. It is very dark and had more of a thriller vibe compared to the US version. Penelope Cruz is great in this; she should really concentrate on just doing Spanish films. Oh and the soundtrack was really good.

(M) Little Voice. (Mark Herman, 1998) Grade: C

Thoughts: LV (Jane Horrocks) is a shy young woman living with her widowed mother Mari Hoff (Brenda Blethyn). It is discovered that LV has a great singing voice and Mari’s new shady boyfriend Ray Say (Michael Caine) can’t wait to take advantage of it. The movie was pretty simple but it was nice to watch a young and cute Ewan McGregor.

Movie Count: 88

New Wave didn’t like the ultra-depressing picture of the 9/11 attacks at the top of the page, so I’ll blog about something else a little less depressing: traffic. Ha ha. Today on my way to work, I was in a three-car fender-bender. A car in front of me wanted to make a sudden left turn, so it made an abrupt stop, causing me to brake but the other two cars behind me didn’t stop fast enough. Anyway, this is probably my third (or fourth) fender bender in L.A., which I think statistically is pretty good. I could be wrong. Anyway, I’ll soon have a much longer commute to work (about 1+ hours), so my fender-bender stats could go up. I figure on the Westside it’s overly aggressive, impatient drivers and on the Eastside it’s confused, I’m not going to obey traffic laws drivers.

Well it’s the sixth year anniversary of the Twin Towers attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which is a tragedy that could be likened to JFK’s assassination, in the “where were you when … happened?” For me, I was spending the summer in Boston. The mother of the family I lived with told me that planes had crashed in NYC that morning, but I didn’t really understand what had happened until I watched it unfold on TV. I also met a lot of people that day who knew passengers on the planes, as the flights took off out of Boston’s Logan International Airport. Surreal day. I can’t believe it has already been six years.

Topic: Cure refund, iPod.

*So the Cure has postponed their concert until next year and since I don't feel like going to Canada again I asked for a refund and got it :) As much as I would love to see the Cure it is nice to have some money back on my account. I feel like I have been spending a lot.

*With that said Apple announced a few days ago yet another version of the iPod and I want it. Mainly for the touch and wi-fi access but maybe I should hold off. Steve Jobs might lower the price some more. Ha ha. I love how mad the iPhone people are. Oh and I love that you can now get a classic iPod with 160 GB for $350. Ha ha ... oh that Apple.

Topic: Seattle, Heroes.

*Seattle, WA: sitting in a lot of traffic on our way to LAX, liking the warm cookies and semi empty plane on our way there, Rock Bottom and the cool cover band that was playing that night, Pike's Place, Farmer's Market area, going to wedding, watching two people in love get married (very nice), eating good food and cake, drinking a lot of free beer, standing awkwardly while people danced, forced to join them and disliking it, not knowing anyone really there, getting less than 3 hours of sleep, getting up at 5 am to catch shuttle to SEA/TAC airport, falling asleep and waking up 5 mins before the plane was going to take off ... I was final boarding (yikes), coming home and realizing how bad LA air quality is to Seattle's super clean and nice air.


*I still don't like weddings BUT to see two people who want to spend the rest of their lives together is pretty interesting.

*So Hedwig has been watching 24 and I decided I should join the mainstream public and Hedwig and watch a show they all like. I've seen 7 eps of Heroes and although I'm not loving it, I do enjoy Hiro quite a bit. The biggest flaw I find with the show is I don't like any of the characters. They all take themselves WAY too seriously and are very over dramatic.

Topic: Wedding, Fall TV.

*At the end of this week I'll be in Seattle, WA for a wedding. I'm glad pepole are getting married :) but I can't say I'm thrilled to go to yet ANOTHER wedding. Ha ha. I am interested in going to Seattle but sadly my time there will be pretty brief so can't really sight-see much. Oh well.

**Per Hedwig, this part has been updated with dates :) Plan accordingly. Sadly I'll be out of town during most of the new shows but I'll be taping like mad :)

*So the summer is drawing to a close (thank goodness) and new tv programs will be back. Too bad Veronica Mars and Gilmore Girls are gone. I guess that means I have to find new shows to love until they get cancelled. Here is my fall list according to epguides.com:

Sunday - Simpsons (Sept.23)
Monday - How I Met Your Mother (Sept. 24), I might try out The Big Bang Theory (Sept. 24) and Chuck (Sept. 24)
Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - I might try out Pushing Daisies (Oct. 3) and Bionic Woman (Sept. 26)
Thursday - Ugly Betty (Sept. 27 - YAY) and the Office (Sept. 27)
Friday - nothing
Saturday - nothing

Other shows people might want to know:
Desperate Housewives (Sept. 30)
America's Next Top Model (Sept. 23)
Dancing with the Stars (Sept. 24)
Heroes (Sept. 24)
Private Practice (Sept. 26)
Gossip Girl (Sept. 19)
Grey's Anatony (Sept. 27)

I'm going to be more open about tv shows. I mean I missed out on the Lost and Heroes boat so maybe now I can catch a show that everyone loves. I could try to catch up on Heroes though ... eh. Oh and apparently from the fall line-up I guess networks are banking on nerds and sci-fi. Gosh I miss Battlestar Galactica!!

I believe I set my movie watching record this past week.

(M) Paris, Je T'aime (I Love You Paris)
Grade: B
These were a bunch of 5 minute short films done by professional filmmakers (such as the Coen Brothers) that made up the 2 hour dvd. There were some great shorts and some not so great ones but there were more good than bad. It was very fun to watch professionals do a quick story and if you don't like one of the stories, the next one is just moments away.


(M) Elephant
Grade: B
Gus Van Sant's high school/Columbine movie was better to me than I had heard anyone talk about, except my brother who also enjoyed it.


(M) 51 Birch Street
Grade: B+
This was a great look at how two people lived in a marriage who are from my grandparents generation. Roles were different back then. This is a documentary that a man does who investigates what was going on in his parents marriage because after his mom unexpectedly dies, the husband of this woman marries his past secretary 3 months later. Growing up in an age where divorce was not acceptable you get insight into what the life of being "stuck" together was like. I liked this far far more than I was expecting to.


(M) Brief Crossing
Grade: B
This movie, from controversial director (Catherine Breillat) of Romance, Fat Girl, and The Anatomy of Hell, tells a story of an older married woman who meets a 16-year-old male on a boat ride crossing from England to France and engages him in conversation about women in society and the roles of men and women. This director always discusses the role of women and how society treats and or views them. As with almost anything this director does, I really enjoyed the film.


(M) Quinceanera
Grade: B+
This is another movie I enjoyed far far more than I was expecting too. I though the story line of a young mexican/hispanic family trying to grow-up in Echo Park was great.


(M) A History Of Violence / Grade: C-
(M) Apocalypto / Grade: B+
(M) Trapped In The Closet (Ch. 13-22??) / Grade: F-
(M) Mondo Cane / Grade: C (All I have to say is WTF & humans are stupid).
(M) And God Created Woman / Grade: C
(M) Man Ray [Documentary] / Grade: B-
(M) What The Bleep Do We Know / Grade: C+
(M) The Last Days [Documentary] / Grade: B-
(M) Joy Division [Here Are The Young Men + Substance] / Grade: C

(B) No One Belongs Here More Than You, Stories By Miranda July
Grade: B
I found some of Miranda July's stories very entertaining and then I found some to just be average stories. However I felt every story had great moments of humor or quirks that were quite humorous that it made every story an enjoyable read.

Happy Labor Day!!
*I hope everyone is trying to stay cool. It is freaking too hot right now :( Oh well. This has to be the worst long weekend for me. I actually want to go back to work because at least there is A/C.