Sunday, August 03, 2008
this is a lot of watching
The Happening - This is pretty good. Sixth Sense is still M.Night Shyamalan's best movie. I can never say his name right cause hubby calls him Shamalama-ding-dong.
To Kill a Mocking Bird - This is a very old black and white movie. Maybe my only Gregory Peck movie. I like the book, so I like this movie too.
Superbad - This movie is very juvenile. High school guys obsessed with sex. There were some funny moments especially the fake IDs scene with Fogell calling himself McLovin with no first name, and Evan (Michael Cera, Arrested Development) asked him 'What? One name? Who are you? Seal?' That was classic.
Brokeback Mountain - Not as many kissing scenes as I thought. I am not homophobic, just didn't like to see 2 guys kissing. I sort of got used to it watching Six Feet Under, but wasn't really comfortable with it. It's a sad movie. Heath Ledger is a great actor. I watched The Dark Knight 2 weekends back? Great movie, best Batman movie ever!!! Heath Ledger really is a great actor. It's really a sad loss.
Also finished Arrested Development and Sopranos. WTF with the ending for Sopranos??? I do believe Tony is dead though with the black screen and all.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
this is surprising
I just found out that one of my pictures received 'Editor's Pick' on BetterPhoto.com. I had sent the picture in for a contest a while back (actually a long while back), and I had forgotten about it. Editor's Pick means that I passed Round 1 of the contest judging. I didn't win but still. I am pretty happy about it. Yey!!!
Monday, March 24, 2008
montreal
Day 1 - Good Friday.
Arrived in Montreal around noon. Went straight to Omni. Hotel let us checked in early. Probably could have gotten a room on a higher floor if we checked in later.
Lunch - We followed my Montreal Eats cheat sheet to find Olive et Gourmando in Old Montreal. What a great find!!! I had a small salad with tofu, wild rice, celery, raisins and cashews and a cup of Borscht. Hubby had a Cajun Chicken Panini and a cup of Borscht. Food was fresh and tasty. Also bought a small square of brownie. The brownie was highly recommended in Chowhound. It was pretty expensive for a small square. We didn't eat the brownie until Saturday though. Oh... we also bought a green tea mousse from the chocolate place across the street. It tasted good but not sure if it's worth the $5. Brownie is a better deal at $3/piece.
Dinner - Le Taj. This is a recommendation from Frommer's. We wanted something close by as the weather was pretty frigid (much colder than Toronto). We ordered Daal Lamb, Roasted Aubergine, basmatic rice, naan, and hubby had wine. Food is good, service so so.
Day 2 -
Breakfast - Starbucks. We wanted to find a small cafe to have crossiant. We must be too early for downtown folks. We didn't really find anything and we were too cold. Finally settled on Starbucks. It's too cold to walk around just to find a cafe. I had a cafe au lait and a small bite of bagel. I am really not a Starbucks fan.
We walked around St-Denis/St-Laurent/Plateau area. Determined to try a bistro. Found L'Express.
Lunch - At L'Express, we had lunch when everyone else was having breakfast. It was strange cause it was close to noon but everyone was having breakfast. We are too early for Montrealers. We decided not to have a hugh lunch as we wanted to eat something else later. I had the Fish soup, hubby had Sorrel soup and we also ordered Bone Marrow with Coarse Salt from the appertizer menu. The bone marrow was interesting. Had to scrape the marrow onto the toast and top it with coarse salt. Not sure I would order it again as it's quite messy to eat.
We went back to the hotel and set out again to find some local food. I wanted to try sugar pie, Tarte au Sucre. So we set out to find this place called Ma'am Bolduc. After walking for 25 minutes from the Metro, we decided to call it quit and found some place that we could find for sure. Since we wanted some Quebec food, we settled for poutine. It was 2 hours later that we finally sat down at Frite Alors on St-Denis.
Late Afternoon Snack/Dinner - Frite Alors. We both ordered poutine. They have different sauces to put on top of the poutine. My sauce had harissa in it (never tried that) and hubby had a mexican flavored sauce. The poutine was hugh. We were too full to eat dinner.
Day 3 - Easter Sunday
Mall is not opened. We knew that going to Montreal so we had decided to visit the Marche Jean-Talon on Sunday. Following my tradition of choosing the wrong exit, it just took us an extra hour to find the market. The market was interesting. Not all stores were opened because of Easter. I do think TO's St. Lawrence Market is better. But then again, if we go back in summer, we might stroll around more and find more stuff. We bought some Quebec cheese, baguette, cherry tomatoes and smoke meat to bring on the train for dinner. We tried merguez and maple taffy for the first time. The taffy was made by pouring maple syrup on clean snow and using a wooden stick to roll the syrup. It was pretty good, but one was definitely enough. Also ate churros and had a coffee (tea for hubby). Produce is not that cheap in the market but tasty and fresh.
I have been to Montreal 3 times. Except the first time on a guided tour with my sister, I enjoyed all the restaurants that I had tried. I do think Montreal's restaurants are better. Toronto has more mediocre restaurants like Spring Roll that is popular somehow. Enough said.
I enjoyed staying at Omni very much. The hotel has a heated pool. I swam but it was kind of cold still. We enjoyed soaking at the hot tub at the end of the day. I found that Montrealers eat slowly, and usually have wine at dinner. I am not a wine drinker myself. Also, the sidewalks were icy. Don't they clear them?
Oh... I didn't have steak au poivre this time. Oh well, next time for sure.
All in all a pretty good long weekend. Our goal was to try different food, and we have done that.
Friday, January 04, 2008
who is this idiot?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2tlxCNejkE
I want to know who this idiot woman is. She doesn't know that 咸蛋 is made from 鴨蛋and cannot tell the difference between the two??? Is she for real?
小嫻部落
http://www.amymagazine.com/amyblog/siuhan/
I have only read 1 or 2 of her books. Kind of like 亦舒 I think.
I like her shoes and hangbags.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
books i read in 2007
Bare Bones, Kathy Reichs
The Broker, John Grisham
The Chamber, John Grisham
2nd time reading.
The Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean M. Auel
OK story. One of the books that I bought for my trip to Hong Kong.
The Dive from Clausen's Pier, Ann Packer
The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls
Harry Potter, J.K, Rowling
I reread the whole series.
The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri
Night, Elie Wiesel
This is about Elie as a young Jew being sent to Auschwitz and later to the concentration camp. Amazing human spirit.
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Robot Visions, Isaac Asimov
Spin, Robert Charles Wilson
Not your typical sci-fi novel. Like it lots.
Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom
So so book. I like The Five People You Meet in Heaven better.
The Trial, Kafka
Very boring.
一個女人兩張床, 亦舒
电光幻影, 亦舒
stuff that i watched in 2007
This is not a bad movie. Bruce Willis played a washed up cop very well. Wonder why this is not a bigger hit.
24
I stopped watching half way. This show is getting tiring. Same formula over and over and over. Jack Bauer is like a cat with 9 lives. He never get hurt, not seriously anyway!!! And he is so loyal to the country that is not so loyal to him, it drives me bonkers.
The Break-Up - Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn
The 40 Year Old Virgin - Steve Carell
An Inconvenient Truth - Al Gore
Al Gore did a great job. I think him losing the presidency might be the best thing for him and the world. It must be a hugh disappoinment to have the presidency at your fingertips, and poof... gone. But he didn't let that consume him. He made the best use of the situation. Not being the president free him to address the issue that is most dear to him in a bipartisan way.
The Aristocrats
I don't think this is funny at all. It's vulgar and I am used to swearing.
Arrested Development
Too bad this got cut. Pretty funny sitcom.
A Tale of Two Sisters
Korean horror flick.
Cache (Hidden) - Juliette Binoche, Daniel Auteil
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Click - Adam Sandler
Crimes and Misdemeanors - Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Houston, Alan Alda
Watched this long time ago. I Watched this again, still like Manhattan Murder Mystery better.
Curb your enthusiasm
Haven't finished all the seasons yet.
The Departed - Leonardo DiCaprio
If you haven't seen the original Infernal Affairs, you might like this. I like Internal Affairs I & II better.
Elizabeth - Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren is a great actress. Glad that she finally won an Oscar.
Fearless (霍元甲)- Jet Li
I still like Jet Li's first Shaolin movie.
Free Zone - Natalie Portman
Rebecca, Hanna, and Leila represents the different forces at work in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The allegory is apparent, but it failed to deliver. The narrative is a bit weak. Since the film was shot in Jordan, at least that was interesting to me.
Flightplan - Jodie Foster
For Your Consideration - Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara
meh... like Best in Show better.
Update - It's so meh that I couldn't even remember what the movie is about.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(IMAX)
The film cut out a lot of details from the book, and it changed some of the story line as well.
Heroes
The plot is more straight forward than Lost. Good substitute when Lost is not on.
House
I love Dr. Gregory House, but I don't like the new season. Too Survivor like. Thumbs down.
The Intrepreter - Sean Penn, Nicole Kidman
I like Sean Penn. He is a good actor.
I am Legend (IMAX) - Will Smith
Some scary moments. The camera works gave me a headache with the constant motion in some scenes. Will Smith is a great actor. He really can carry the load as most of the time it's just him and the dog, but you don't feel bored watching them.
Infernal Affairs I
Watched this again. Much better storyline than The Departed.
I, Robot - Will Smith
After watching this movie, I read Robot Visions. The book is much simplier than the movie.
K-Pax
I watched this for the second time because I missed the ending the first time around.
Placard, Le (The Closet) - Gerard DePardieu
Leon (The Professional) - Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello, Natalie Portman
Great acting.
The Life of David Gale - Kate Winslet, Kevin Spacey
The story is well told. I am surpised this didn't get better ratings.
Little Miss Sunshine - Steve Carell
OK movie.
Live Free or Die Hard - Bruce Willis
Watched this on Christmas Eve. Not as good as the first 2 Die Hard movies, but still great fun.
Some stunts are little far fetched. I doubt a F15 can fly that low between bridges. Justin Long has this James Blunt look to him.
Looking for Comedy in a Muslim World - Albert Brooks
The movie is not funny. I know Albert Brooks is a low key sort of guy, but the improv bit wasn't even funny in the standup routine that he was doing in the school auditorium. Thumbs down.
Lost
Love this show. What more can I say.
Memoirs of a Geisha - Ziyi Zhang, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh
I wouldn't have paid to watch this, because I don't like Zhang Ziyi. It's ironic how the main characters, the Geishas, are not Japanese, but Chinese. Wonder why the casting was that way.
Mission Impossible III - Tom Cruise
Monster House
The Name of the Rose
Watched this long long time ago. Still good for the second time. I forgot most of the plot, so it's kind of like watching it for the first time.
Ocean 13
The Office (U.S.)
I love The Office. I have watched the BBC one, but I am partial to the U.S. one as the humor is closer to home.
Pan's Labyrinth
Not as scary as I thought. Trailer makes it look scary.
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest - Johnny Deep, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Too freaking long.
Surprised find: The guy that played Gareth in The Office(BBC) was also in this movie.
Run Lola Run
Interesting German flick playing the what-if scenarios with 3 alternate realities.
Syriana - George Clooney
Hubby find this confusing. I love the plot.
Thank You for Not Smoking - Aaron Eckhart
You, Me and Dupree - Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, Matt Dillon
Not that great.
Three Extremes 三更2
The movie consists of three segments by three directors from three countries. I have watched 1 segment.
Dumplings
It's well done. Don't made the mistake of watching this after you eat. I did, and my stomach was very unsettled after.
Wedding Crashers - Owen Wilson
Not as bad as I thought especially it's free (from PVR).
WKRP
Classic sitcoms from the late 70s. Hubby bought this in New York City. He was wondering for the longest time when will this be on DVD. He got his wishes. I have never watched this since I didn't grow up here.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
shoe diva
Friday, October 12, 2007
old email reply from hubby
-----------------------------------
1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATRE? I don't remember, but the popcorn sucked.
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? How To Succeed As A Male Stripper
3. FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Naked Twister
4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE? Let's just say that it comes in a brown paper wrap.
5. FAVORITE SMELLS? Popcorn!
6. COMFORT FOODS? Popcorn!
7. FAVORITE SOUNDS? The sound of popcorn popping!
8. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD? Running out of popcorn!
9. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? Why have I been handcuffed naked to this telephone pole?
10. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE? All of them!
11. FUTURE CHILDREN'S NAME. "Seven". Maybe "Soda".
12. FINISH THIS STATEMENT. "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY, I WOULD..... Buy the Q-Muk Restaurant in Hong Kong, move it to Oakville, and pay the cooks to move here and cook me noodles every day.
13. DO YOU DRIVE FAST? Not fast enough to lose the cops.
14. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? My childhood dog, and he's starting to smell.
15. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY? Cool, but only IF they're scary!
16. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? A Lamborghini. But it was two inches long, and I was 5 years old.
17. FAVORITE DRINK? Battery acid. Try it, you'll like it.
18. FINISH THIS STATEMENT - "IF I HAD THE TIME, I would learn how to rob a bank and make Question #12 come true.
19. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI? What's broccoli?
20. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? I would pick a different colour for each hair on my head. This could also be the answer to #18.
21. HOW MANY DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS HAVE YOU LIVED IN? Hamilton, Ontario; Burlington, Ontario; Oakville, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario. The Ontario police won't let me leave.
22. GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? I drink right out of the bottle.
23. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Female naked Jell-O wrestling.
24. SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SITS NEXT TO YOU? My mother always said if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. So...
25. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? A couple of corpses. But trust me, they deserved it.
26. TOILET PAPER/PAPER TOWEL - OVER OR UNDER? I use pictures of Celine Dion.
27. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL? Whenever the guards wake me up.
28. OVER EASY, OR SUNNY SIDE UP? This is a trick question. You can't fry popcorn, silly!
29. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX? It used to be under my bed. See #25.
30. FAVORITE PIE? 3.141592654
31. OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU E-MAILED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Boy George. As if he's got something better to do.
32. LEAST LIKELY? Santa Claus. I've been naughty this year.

