Entertainment 2012: March 1 - March 31

Books
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (reread)
2. Game Change by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann (new read)
3. A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle (reread)

Movies
1. Tangled, rewatch, oh so wonderful
2. Gigantic, new, okay
3. Despicable Me, rewatch, adorable
4. Inception, rewatch, as fantastic as always
5. Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, rewatch, nostalgic
6. The Artist, new, decent
7. Game Change, new, interesting
8. Jefferson in Paris, new, sadly quite boring
9. The Hunger Games, new, really good
10. Thor, new, pretty standard hero flick but with some genuinely amusing moments

Review: The Hunger Games

Thanks to France's Wednesday new release tradition, I had the good fortune to see The Hunger Games this afternoon. As I have said previously, I enjoyed the books but don't regard them with the same obsessive zeal I have for other series, though they are miles better than Twilight (admittedly a low bar). Most of my problems with them originated with Suzanne Collins's style; she comes from a television writing background, which is eminently clear when you read her prose. Katniss is also not the most likable of protagonists. I have grown to like her, but she takes a lot of getting used to, and since she's the first-person narrator, it's hard to be inside her head especially when you haven't warmed up to her properly. All of these issues are solved by the film. In fact, I submit to you that The Hunger Games works better as a movie than it does as a book. The larger world we only got a sense of in the books is featured prominently on screen, and the violence is much more shocking and visceral in a visual medium. I did miss a few lines or details here and there, but the quality of the final product more than makes up for it. This is a good film and a great adaptation.

Now beware, because HERE BE SPOILERS!

Audiobooks and Awesome

Once I posted my top ten list last night, I had an incredible urge to read A Ring of Endless Light again. Unfortunately, since I wanted to travel light, I left almost all of my books in storage in Virginia, and in any case I lent my copy out to a friend quite a while ago now. Luckily Amazon Prime has a partnership with Audible.com, and not only could I download the Ring of Endless Light audiobook for free, but my free trial also gave me one more credit to use how I liked. I ended up picking the behind-the-scenes 2008 election account Game Change, which is supposed to be kind of trashy but also really interesting. I'm about halfway through it at the moment, and I can confirm that it is both of those things. Incidentally, I watched the HBO movie this weekend. I was surprised at how much it humanized Sarah Palin, but it also underlined just how idiotic a choice she was. She was utterly unprepared for the position she was thrust into, both because she wasn't properly vetted and because she is willfully ignorant. Anyway, it felt very much like a TV movie, and some parts were laughably melodramatic, but overall it wasn't a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Today was a pretty good day. As usual, I slept later than I should have, but once I got up, I did several things I'd been meaning to do for a few days and then had a couple of good classes at Sciences Po. Afterward, I had some tasty leftovers, Skyped with Ruth and Leslie, and flailed around on the Internet because a) The Hunger Games is getting great buzz, and I get to see it next week (it comes out in France on Wednesday, but I'm going to Disneyland with Eva, so I'll probably go Thursday morning if there isn't a midnight showing Tuesday night), and b) it looks like the Legend of Korra airdate will be announced this week! Finally! Also, the weight loss is continuing to go really well; all of my jeans are too big for me, and I'm pretty sure I've gone down another dress size, although I don't plan on going clothes shopping anytime soon, so I can't know for certain. Still, I'm happy. Life is good!

Dimanche

Since I have been terrible at blogging consistently, I thought I would tell you what a typical Sunday in Lille is like, in case I happen to miss a bunch of Sundays and you're fraught with the desire to know what I do with them.

So back in Virginia, I have a job in addition to taking classes that actually require some effort. This means that while I am something of a night owl while I am at UVa, I'm still usually asleep by 1:30 in the morning. Here in France, I have neither a job nor classes that start before 10, with the result that I stay up until 3 in the morning or later rather more often than is really wise. Weekends make this problem much worse (or better, depending on your point of view). Last night, I was watching Kim Possible on YouTube and didn't go to sleep until four in the morning. Part of this I blame on residual rubbish from being sick, and the other part I blame on me for not having common sense. This is particularly relevant because I had to get up with enough time to shower before church. Church is at 10; I got up at 8:30. 4.5 hours of sleep for the lose!

I leave my place about ten minutes before worship is scheduled to begin, which means I usually arrive about five minutes late, but since nothing starts when it is supposed to, I get there just on time! Today I was very slightly late; I shall take this as a sign that my timing skills need a little honing. I go to a French Baptist church that reminds me a lot of Primera in Mexicali, except there's obviously a different language that's still difficult for me to understand and harder to speak. If I'm paying attention, though, I get the gist of what everyone is saying. There's a lot of praying and singing (and praying while singing); I'm not so great at the praying out loud in French part (to be fair, I'm not great at the praying out loud in English part either; my faith is a quieter one). Then there's a long sermon (I have my English Bible to follow along with, and also if the sermon is boring there are always good stories to read somewhere in the Bible), followed by more praying, then communion.

Communion here is done by passing around a bowl full of bread and then a cup. Some people eat their bread first and then take a sip from the cup, using a little cloth to wipe the brim afterward; others take communion by intinction, which is when you dip the bread into the cup and have both elements at once. I find intinction slightly more sanitary, so I've been doing that. I think we might be drinking wine instead of grape juice, which explains why I don't really enjoy the communion bread here that much (I know that's not the point, but I am nothing if not brutally honest). Then more praying, offering, and we're done, which means a lot of "bon dimanche"-ing and doing that French thing where you kiss first one cheek, then the other as a way of saying good-bye.

Eva and I usually go to the street market directly after worship. The vegetables are quite cheap and generally tasty, so I usually come with a shopping bag, spend two or three Euro, and am set for the week in the fresh food department. Sometimes we then go to the Carrefour City closer to where she lives if I need to pick something up that can't wait until Monday; the Carrefour by my place closes at 12:30 on Sundays, which means it's pretty much impossible to get there after church. If it's cold out, I'll Metro back up to my part of Lille; if it's nice, like it was today, I'll walk.

I then proceed to veg out for a few hours, sometimes Skyping, sometimes reading, almost always Interneting in some capacity (I am just a veritable fountain of made-up verbs today, aren't I?), occasionally with a nap along the way if I'm lucky. Lately I've been making plans with Lille friends for Sunday evenings. Today Eva and I went to see The Artist and get some crepes in the nice part of Lille. (One-sentence film review: It was my first experience with a silent film, and I enjoyed it for what it was, but I'm not sure if it was worthy of Best Picture.) Then I Metroed back home, talked to Sara and my parents, and watched many, many charlieissocoollike videos on YouTube. I am starting to think I am secretly British, and just happened to be born an American by mistake, because every time I become obsessed with a new British thing, it feels completely natural and right, and also I am so ready to go actually spend some time there, you have no idea. But then I would have David Cameron in charge of my government instead of Barack Obama, and I am so not on board with that (though then again, I am completely on board with living in a country with a healthcare system as awesome as the NHS, and also Harry Potter). Consensus? Clearly, none.

Top ten literary crushes tomorrow? I am thinking yes.

Entertainment 2012: February 1 - February 29

Books
1. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares (new read)
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (new read)

Movies
1. North and South (2004 mini), new, quite good, though it suffered from a lot of the same problems the book did
2. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, rewatch, bittersweet
3. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, rewatch, still good but sad in retrospect
4. Anne Frank: The Whole Story, new, well-made
5. La Vie d'une autre, new, predictable but nice (at least the parts I was able to understand)
6. The Parent Trap (1961), mostly new, slightly campy and good God, Hayley Mills does a terrible American accent, but decent enough
7. The Parent Trap (1998), rewatch, VERY similar to the original, I now realize, but I still love it because I grew up with it. Natasha Richardson, Dennis Quaid, and Lisa Ann Walter are genuinely good, and I thought Lindsay Lohan was better in the lead role than Hayley Mills was. Yeah, come at me.
8. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, new, and in French, so I probably missed a lot of the funny parts, but better than I thought it would be, which is pretty much how I felt about the last one, too.
9. Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front, new, frankly not that great, though the little girl who played Emily was good
10. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, new, charming
11. Felicity: An American Girl Adventure, rewatch, fun, made me want to read the books again although I know they're written at an elementary-school level
12. Samantha: An American Girl Holiday, rewatch, legitimately good and probably the best of the American Girl film series
13. Stranger Than Fiction, new, only really paid attention to some of it, but interesting concept, especially as someone that loves the writing and storytelling process
14. Zombieland, mostly new, not a fan of even fake gore, but funnier than I thought it would be

Nostalgia Trip

So, like roughly any other girl I went to school with, I grew up reading the American Girl books. While I never owned a doll, I loved the stories, which were about brave and resourceful young ladies growing up in different eras in United States history. When I was little, Samantha was my favorite; now that I'm older, I might like Felicity best. I even had the completely hilarious in retrospect computer game, American Girl Premiere. In any case, I know that when I think about these books, I do so with a nostalgia filter firmly in place.

During the past several years, I found out that there have been movie versions of some of the stories, sweet, inoffensive films I enjoy watching when I come across them. I saw the Felicity movie when I was still living at home, and the Samantha movie shortly thereafter, but it wasn't until this weekend that I finally got around to seeing Molly and Kit. Some are better made than others; Kit's was the only theatrical release, with an appropriately laudable cast (Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine as Kit, with supporting roles played by Stanley Tucci, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, and Julia Ormond), whereas the rest have been TV movies with generally lesser-known stars. After having seen them all, I think Molly's was probably the worst. She was played by Canadian Maya Ritter, and while I certainly have nothing against Canadians, it's a little jarring to see a movie set in a heavily patriotic World War II-era United States that was obviously filmed in Canada with a mostly Canadian cast, the younger members of which have not been taught the U.S. way of saying "sorry," for example. (Though I must admit, I do rather like the Canadian way, and always grin when I hear Gilbert Blythe using it in the Anne of Green Gables films). As for Felicity and Samantha, I think I need to watch their movies again to decide which I liked best. I do remember, however, that Felicity is played by Shailene Woodley, who would go on to star in The Secret Life of the American Teenager (cringe) and The Descendants (which is actually getting her a lot of buzz), and Samantha by AnnaSophia Robb of Bridge to Terabithia fame.

If you happen to feel as nostalgic about these books as I do, I have included links to all the trailers for your viewing pleasure: Samantha, Felicity, Kit, Molly. It's been a lovely weekend for a nostalgia trip; I hope you feel similarly.

Sisterhood Everlasting [SPOILERS]

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants has a special place in my heart. They're not the best books ever written, but they spoke to me nonetheless. I hasten to add that I am a quite casual Traveling Pants fan; I've read the first three books and some of the fourth, and I own both movies. I was nevertheless surprised to hear that Ann Brashares had written another installment in the series, however. The cynical side of me thinks she just wrote it so she would have a guaranteed seller on her hands, but even if that is the case, Brashares's writing doesn't really suffer. In fact, I would say her prose is better than it's ever been, bearing in mind it's been a long while since I read the first book. Yet as well-written and ultimately good as this book was, it was also one of the saddest, most heart-wrenching things I've ever read.

Okay, if you don't want to be spoiled for this book, stop reading NOW. Major, major spoilers ahoy. In fact, it is impossible to really discuss this book without discussing the huge, series-changing spoiler, because it's the main plot point in the book. Look away!

Day in the Sun

Today Lauran and I went into Amsterdam. I wanted to see Anne Frank House and maybe the Van Gogh Museum before the weekend was over; thus far, I've been to the former. I woke up much later than I'd intended, but no matter; Lauran fixed me a delicious omelette, we ran an errand, and ended up walking over to the bus stop about two. From there, we took a bus to Schiphol, where we caught a train into the city. Public transportation is so good in Europe! It was a gorgeous day; the sun was shining, the sky was a brilliant blue, and the snow was beautiful and white (well, at least in Hoofddorp. It wasn't so white in Amsterdam, but it still added a lot of charm). We strolled over to Anne Frank House. Our route took us over bridges, covering canals that were mostly frozen over but sometimes broken up to allow boats through. As has been my experience throughout Europe, the city was an eclectic combination of old and new, authentic and commercial. The street performers were interesting as usual; there was a man who had painted himself gold and stood perfectly still on top of a pedestal, looking for all the world like a statue - I must have jumped about a foot in the air when he suddenly moved and took a bow.

Anne Frank House was nice. It wasn't as sad as I thought it was going to be, though it did feel very strange to go up into the Annex and realize I was standing where she had stood. I still can't imagine what it must have been like to have eight people living there. Also, the stairs were incredibly steep and narrow; I don't know how anyone didn't break their neck going up and down that thing in the dark. Anyway, when I was finished looking around the museum, I went and found Lauran at the cafe, and we walked over to our restaurant. I had hot chocolate and pumpkin lasagne, which was unusual but very tasty. Afterward, Lauran took me through the red light district, as I had asked her. She's done a lot of work with human trafficking outreach and education, and I thought her insight would put a unique spin on things. I wasn't wrong. It was sobering, seeing those girls sitting in their windows, and hearing the men behind us make lewd jokes. I still don't know exactly how I felt about it, just that I was simultaneously grateful and a little ashamed that I had been fortunate enough to be born into a family, country, and situation in life where I would not be coerced into or feel otherwise trapped enough to turn to prostitution.

The day ended cheerfully enough, though. Lauran and I went back to her apartment, where she made tea and we watched The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, my choice. Honestly, it feels really different having read most of Sisterhood Everlasting, but it's still a sweet movie and I enjoyed watching it with Lauran. Then we played with her cat a little and said good night.

Looking forward to tomorrow. Church, maybe Van Gogh museum - all in all, a nice day planned.

Entertainment 2012: January 1 - January 31

Quick explanation for new readers: I keep track of the books, movies, and plays that I read/watch throughout the year, and at the beginning of every month post my updated entertainment list. I haven't always been the most consistent at doing this, though. This year has been going pretty well so far, list-wise, so hopefully it'll be better now. Note that when I list a work as "new," I mean new to me, not necessarily new in general. Anyway, here it is:

Books
1. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (new read)

Movies
1. The Help, new, better than I thought it would be but still sort of rubs me the wrong way as a politics major with a focus on race and gender
2. Dolphin Tale, new, surprisingly charming (then again, I am the girl who used to love dolphins so much I used to check all the tuna cans at the grocery store to make sure they were dolphin-safe)
3. Moneyball, new, pretty good if a little overrated
4. Kiki's Delivery Service, mostly new, sweet
5. My Neighbor Totoro, new, so adorable
6. Castle in the Sky, new, great storytelling
7. Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind, new, intense and quite good
8. From Up on Poppy Hill (Kokuriko-zaka kara), new, weird but pretty
9. The Duchess, new, strange but not bad despite the presence of Keira Knightley

Plays
None

And while I tend to watch my TV either as it airs or in bits and pieces online (and therefore not in a way that works really well with my list), here are the shows I'm currently following:
The Office (I've seen every episode, and I still enjoy it, though it is past its prime)
Parks and Recreation (LOVE)
Switched at Birth (yeah, I know, but it's actually quite good for an ABC Family show)
I've seen the first episode of Downton Abbey (just realized the post I wrote never ended up online somehow - that'll be fixed within the next couple of days), and plan to write a blog series on it once I can, um, find a good proxy, since at the moment I can access neither my Netflix nor the PBS website and don't know where else to watch it legally. Anyway, I suspect I'll end up loving it; British costume dramas are generally my thing, and I liked the pilot well enough.
Doctor Who - the 2005 reboot, more specifically. I've seen all of series one and two and the first episode of series three at this point. David Tennant is my preferred Doctor; as for companions, I liked Rose and didn't particularly care for Donna, at least from the one episode that I've seen with her in it.

Entertainment things I'm looking forward to this year:
Avatar: The Legend of Korra (sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is fantastic and you should watch it immediately. Also, just FYI, I like to pretend M. Night Shyamalan's atrocity never happened. It's nothing like the show which it is purportedly based on)
Brave (newest Pixar movie, its first with a female protagonist, and she's a spirited Scottish redhead, oh happy day)
The Hunger Games (this is one of the few books I think will work better on the screen than on the page, and I think Jennifer Lawrence was meant to play Katniss. Also, Josh Hutcherson will be playing my favorite character, Peeta, and I've had a huge soft spot for him since Bridge to Terabithia)
Reading The Fault in Our Stars when it gets here from the States, since I've heard from nearly everyone who's read it that it's John Green's best novel yet.
Make It or Break It's return to television (shut up. It's my guilty pleasure show, and I need Payson to win the gold medal at the Olympics and get together with Sasha ~in the future~)
Speaking of which, the Olympics are this summer! I really only care about gymnastics, and maybe swimming a little bit, but I love watching them, and they'll be in London this year!
Finally, it's an election year! Not really looking forward to the nastiness of the race, but I can't wait to see dear old Mittens get his phony ass handed to him in the debates and on November 6. (Wow, that sounded kind of harsh, but I'm not taking it back. Mitt Romney disgusts me in way most politicians don't.)

In Which I Accidentally End Up Seeing a Movie in Japanese with French Subtitles

Funny things happen when you study abroad. I expected to make weird mistakes when I got here - it comes with the territory, really. And I have made weird mistakes, don't get me wrong. I'm pretty sure everyone who lives with me thinks I'm really odd, because I haven't said more than a basic "Hello, how are you?" ("Bonjour! Ça va?") since I arrived. Today, however, contained an especially amusing mistake.

Yesterday my friend Ben suggested that we go see a movie, and since we both like Studio Ghibli and there's a new film out, we decided to go watch it. The movie was listed as being both dubbed in French and subtitled. Naturally, we assumed that the subtitled version would be dubbed in English, and when I went to meet Ben at the theatre this evening, I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing evening watching another Ghibli film in English. We bought our tickets, found our screen, and chose seats. The previews started, and the fact that more than half of them were in English with French subtitles only furthered my belief that we would be seeing an English-language film. Then the movie started up, and as the first song began to play, we slowly realized that while there were indeed French subtitles, the film we had just paid ten euros apiece to go see was in its original Japanese. In retrospect, it shouldn't have been that surprising, but it was somewhat disheartening to know that watching this movie would involve some serious concentration. Ben was the one who figured out the time, but I suspect I would have made the same mistake had I been in his shoes. And really, it wasn't a bad experience. Actually, it was fun, although reading the French subtitles gave me a bit of a headache after a while. I'm just very glad I took two and a half years of French before coming to live in France, because I understood the movie decently well; I probably directly understood 60-70% of the movie, and figured out most of the rest due to context clues. I also took karate for about a year and a half and watched the entirety of Akage no Anne in Japanese with English subtitles, so I think I've picked up a view Japanese phrases here and there. All things considered, it was an interesting evening, and one I'm sure I'll laugh about later.

As for the film itself ... well. It was called Kokuriko-Zaka Kara in Japanese, or From Up On Poppy Hill in English, according to TV Tropes and IMDb. It's directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro, his second Ghibli film, apparently. The animation is gorgeous, and the art style is an interesting mix of anime and impressionism. That was easily my favorite part of the film - it was just incredible to look at, and as it's an aspect that is conveyed without language, I appreciated it even more. Plotwise, it was a little weird. Ostensibly it's about a high school girl and her friends saving the building that houses all their clubs from demolition, but it's also about how the girl, Umi, (SPOILERS) falls for a guy, Shun, who finds out he's actually the illegitimate son of her father, which means they can't be together because it would be incest, and that's wrong, but not really, because Umi's father isn't Shun's father after all, and Shun is really the son of Umi's father's best friend, but because they both died in the Korean War, Shun and Umi have to find this out from their fathers' navy BFF who conveniently shows up at the end of the film (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!). Yeah, I know, it's really strange. (END SPOILERS) Well, at least it was pretty to look at.

Off to Paris tomorrow. I'm excited and a little nervous. My hostel has wifi, so I expect to update my blog from there. A demain!

Watching Miyazaki

Am I the only person who, despite not wanting kids for a good long while yet, gets really excited about the idea of introducing them to her favorite works of fiction? I guess it helps that I still enjoy family-oriented media, as my love of all things Pixar and YA fiction indicates. Anyway, I had always heard that Hayao Miyazaki's films were treasures and often great for children, but not having grown up in a particularly anime-appreciative family, I hadn't seen many of them myself until I got to college.

I have to admit that I'm still not a huge fan of anime in general. It has nothing to do with animation as a storytelling medium (as longtime readers will know, far from it). It's probably just that that particular style of animation is not especially appealing to me, and sometimes I prefer to watch movies in a language I understand (although this is not always a problem, as I love Akage no Anne, the anime adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, like no tomorrow). But I'm really coming to love Miyazaki's work. True, almost all of it has been dubbed, but they're Miyazaki-approved dubs with generally great voice acting, and if it helps me to access the story better, I can't see why anyone should have a problem with it (I'm sure the Miyazaki purists would beg to differ, though). As of now, my favorites are Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro. I love that Miyazaki consistently chooses female protagonists (although sometimes, as with Sheeta in Castle in the Sky, they can be rather one-note), and can convincingly tell simple stories without major antagonists, like Totoro (I watched the Disney dub with the Fanning sisters, and it was adorable). I don't love all of it (I thought Ponyo was visually stunning and super cute but light on plot, and Princess Mononoke was a bit too gritty for me), but overall I can see why Miyazaki has the reputation he does. I love Pixar precisely because their maxim is storytelling is key, and I think Miyazaki operates in much the same vein.

So, as I get ready to watch Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, I'm quite happy to report that I've added Miyazaki's collection to my list of fictional works I must introduce my future children to. They're beautiful stories, full of imagination, inventiveness, and, especially with Totoro, reflections on childhood, and I can't wait to share them with my kids someday.

P.S. Random side note: I was watching Castle in the Sky for the first time last night, and it struck me that Sheeta and Pazu look very much like Anne and Gilbert from Akage no Anne. I don't know if it was the wardrobe or the fact that Miyazaki worked on both or what, but I think it only helped me to love the movie more.

P.P.S. I really do have an actual list of fictional works I plan to introduce my future children to. Let me know if you'd like me to post it!

Long Overdue Update

So I've been pretty much AWOL here as of late. Eighteen credits, study abroad preparations, and illness have all taken their toll on me, and I've had basically the worst November of my life. Thanksgiving can't come soon enough. Right now I'm feeling very anxious because I haven't yet found an apartment in France, even though I've written email after email to landlords and building administrators. In fact, I have to go right back to flat-hunting as soon as I've finished this blog post. When you take into account the five exams I have to prepare for, the fifteen-page paper I have to write, and the packing I have to finish before I leave, it's safe to say that the worst of the stress is yet to come. Sigh.

In the meantime, I thought I would share with you some of the few things that are making me happy these days. First, the second trailer for The Hunger Games came out a week ago, and it looks amazing. I've watched it more times than I care to admit, and I'm not even a huge fan of The Hunger Games. However, I think most of my problems with the books were stylistic; Suzanne Collins has a background in television writing, which I think is very apparent in her prose. This can make for a sometimes clunky narrative, and considering Katniss is not the most accessible protagonist in literature, the books have their fair share of odd or cringeworthy moments. Having seen the trailer, though, I will cautiously say that most of my issues with the books will not be a problem for the film. Jennifer Lawrence is a fine actress, and she might help me warm up to Katniss a bit more, get me to understand her motivations. Josh Hutcherson looks to be in top form as Peeta, which makes me incredibly excited; Peeta is my favorite character, and while I never doubted Josh's abilities as an actor, I'm thrilled to see that he is almost exactly like the Peeta in my head. Rue, Prim, and Effie look just like they should. And Lenny Kravitz really does seem to be a spectacular choice for Cinna; it was an odd bit of casting at first, but having seen him in action, he conveys precisely that sense of calm and understanding I liked so much in the book. Here is the trailer, so you can see for yourself:


The Brave trailer was released last Wednesday. I'm not as impressed with this one as I was with the last, but I still am confident it will be a great movie. With a no-nonsense, butt-kicking, redheaded Scottish princess as its protagonist, how could it not be? The trailer is below; I am in constant awe of Merida's hair, especially considering how hard hair is to animate. Just look at those glorious ginger locks and try not to be amazed:


And as always, I'm incredibly thankful for my family and friends. My parents have been keeping me sane, and my friends have stopped me from getting too overwhelmed. Special shout-outs go to Pooja, who brought me food this weekend when I didn't feel up to leaving my room (horrendously bad cold at least), Sarah, who invited me home with her for Thanksgiving and continues to be a great prayer partner, Matt and Andi, who have proven to be excellent Avatar-watching companions, and Jackie, who is a steadfast Skyper and even better friend. Hopefully the next time I update, I'll be talking about the fun I had with all of them instead of the stress relief.

Well, back to looking for apartments and packing for the next few days.

Entertainment 2011: September 1 - September 30

Okay, so September was pretty pitiful entertainment-wise. I did have two Avatar: The Last Airbender marathons and I watched a lot of Mad Men and Switched at Birth on Netflix, but as far as actual movies go, not so much. Also, on the book front? The only reading I did outside of schoolwork was a chapter of Meg Cabot's Abandon in the UVa bookstore while I was waiting for the Einstein Bros. team to finish making my bagel. I'm not sure if I plan on finishing it; it was not up to her usual standard.

Anyway, here is my pathetic movie list:
The Lion King (umpteenth viewing)
Pocahontas (also umpteenth, although I hadn't seen it for years when I watched it again this past month)
Miss Representation (documentary)

I don't have high hopes for October, entertainment-wise, considering I have work on my visa and study abroad scholarships on top of everything else, but the Virginia Film Festival comes to town in November, which I am quite excited about. It's always a fun time.

In Which I Have Finished My Study Abroad Application

Yes, indeed. As of 11 AM this morning, all my paperwork was turned in to the International Studies Office. Decision day is this upcoming Wednesday, October 5, but from everything I've heard about study abroad, I'm basically guaranteed to get in. I'm very excited and very nervous. The scariest thing is that the application was probably the easiest part; I'll have to apply for scholarships and start preparing my visa now. Actually, I don't really want to think about how much I still have to do on top of everything else this semester. It's nice to bask in the afterglow for a while.

I will (hopefully) be studying in Lille, which is in northern France, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. It is an hour from Paris, half an hour from Brussels, and an hour and a half from London. Here are some maps for certain people (coughcoughJackiecoughcough) who have a little trouble with geography:

The region in red is Nord-Pas-de-Calais. Lille is very close to the Belgian border.

This is Nord-Pas-de-Calais, which as you can see is right next to the English Channel. Lille is about an hour inland.

This is a bakery (or boulangerie) in Lille that came up on Google Image Search when I was looking for maps. It doesn't really have anything to do with geography, but everything looks delicious, so it's going in this post. French pastries, om nom nom.

Anyway, I'll let you know when I get official confirmation from ISO. I'm so thrilled/terrified!

Today I also went to a screening of a new documentary, Miss Representation, with Pooja. It was an interesting and rather infuriating look at the media's portrayal of women, and just how sexist it still is. I didn't agree with everything (for example, I don't feel obligated to vote for women that don't represent my views.  I wasn't old enough to vote in the Democratic primaries in 2008, but I supported Barack Obama from the minute he announced his candidacy in February of 2007, and I stand by that decision. Not supporting Hillary Clinton's campaign didn't make me any less of a feminist), but it was an excellent piece of filmmaking and should be widely watched by men and women alike. Especially men, really.

All in all, not a bad day. Farmer's Market and Avatar: The Last Airbender marathon this weekend, and then next weekend is Fall Break. Yay!

Top Tens: Favorite Fictional Pairings, Or, Everything I Touch Turns to Shipping!

Note: Shipping, for those of you not in the know, is internet lingo for supporting a romantic relationship between two characters. It is derived from the word relationship. A shipper is a fan of a certain pairing, a ship is the couple in question, and the adjective shippy might describe the interactions of a romantic or a perceived romantic nature that this couple have. Having practically lived on the internet for much of the past ten years, I will use this terminology from time to time.

For someone who has always been single, I am surprisingly enthusiastic about romantic relationships between fictional couples. Maybe I like to live vicariously through my favorite characters, or it enables me to continue to hopelessly idealize future partners and set unreasonable expectations for them (heh). Whatever the case, I love shipping. I love it to the point that whenever I pick up a new work of fiction, I almost immediately start pairing off the characters. I look for signs of who will be paired off with who, and why, and how, and whether it will be a long, drawn-out process (it usually is, and if it isn't it often means something bad will happen to the couple in question). There are certain romantic tropes that are especially appealing to me. Bickering couples, longtime friendship that blossoms into love, opposites attract, and Unrequited Love Switcheroos are all storytelling devices almost guaranteed to keep me interested. If they're accompanied by a few longing gazes and some witty banter, that's just icing on the cake. Here are my top ten fictional couples. It was very hard to narrow down my list, so I will also mention some couples that I was thisclose to including.

 

10. Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Logan and Veronica are a special case for me. They aren't the kind of characters I normally put together, and honestly I didn't even like Logan until his feelings for Veronica were in full bloom. I'm not impressed by bad boys at all; Logan isn't exactly a bad boy exactly, but he's certainly edgier than all of Veronica's other romantic interests. There are also some problematic elements to their relationship; in the pilot, Logan was smashing Veronica's headlights and calling her nasty names. It could just be that the writers didn't know where they were going with his character at that point, but it's something that ought to be discussed nonetheless. Veronica, however, is not a meek or submissive kind of girl, and it quickly becomes apparent that she and Logan are attracted to one another, stemming from their one-time friendship, and continuing throughout Veronica's time as Neptune High's social outcast. By the middle of the first season, they're friendlier to one another, and the UST quotient is through the roof. They begin displaying the traits that make me like them as a couple so much; Logan is incredibly protective of Veronica, and will go out of his way to keep her from harm, while Veronica is Logan's emotional rock, helping him process his mother's death. It all comes to a head in the most glorious way, and while I wasn't happy that the writers chose to go the on-again, off-again route with them, I was thrilled that they got together. They have an undeniable chemistry, and their relationship is one of my favorite parts of Veronica Mars.

 

9. Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation) 

Ah, the first of my two political couples. Leslie and Ben represent the geekier, more comedic side of the political romance coin. I love how they gradually come to accept one another, and then let acceptance blossom into something more. They're sweet, funny (oh my goodness, the butt-dialing reveal was hilarious), and just generally perfect for each other. There's not much more too it to that, but they make me happy and I can't wait to see how things go in season four! 

 

8. Michael Moscovitz and Mia Thermopolis (The Princess Diaries)

When I was in junior high and high school, I was obsessed with The Princess Diaries (the books by Meg Cabot, not the Disney adaptation, which is cute but not nearly as good). The first three books especially are centered on the development of the Michael/Mia relationship. Michael was pretty much my ideal fictional boyfriend; he was sweet, mature, kind-hearted, funny, attractive, and very, very nerdy. Mia's growing feelings for Michael were adorable and relatable. They worked very well together, too; is there anything cuter than a first date spent watching Star Wars and quoting Han and Leia (see below) back at one another? I think not. The picture, by the way, is taken from a piece of fanart drawn by an artist who calls herself burdge_bug on the internet.

Other Cabot-verse couples I enjoy: Jenny Greenley and Scott Bennett (Teen Idol), Samantha Madison and David (All-American Girl), Ellie Harrison and Will Wagner (Avalon High).

 

7. Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert (The Office)

Seriously, who doesn't love them? I've said it before, but it bears repeating: they were so flippin' adorable in the early years, before they got together. They're still cute now. I've really enjoyed seeing their relationship progress, from friends longing for something more, to a married couple with one child and another on the way. In many ways the heart and soul of The Office, Jim and Pam will always be a favorite pairing of mine.

Other Office couples I enjoy: Michael and Holly, Erin and Andy.

 

6. Zuko and Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Zuko and Katara are the one couple on my list that never happened in canon. Zuko ended up with Mai and Katara ended up with Aang. I can accept the former gracefully enough, and while I'm still not thrilled about Kataang, I'll live with it. However, even after having seen the entire series at least twice, I persist in believing that Zuko and Katara would have made a more compelling pairing. They had a great dynamic, at once opposites-attract (fire and water) and brought together through similar experience (each losing their mother through the Fire Nation). Their connection was utterly fascinating. Watching them evolve from enemies to (on Katara's part) reluctant allies to close friends, a romantic relationship seemed like the next natural step. 

I know Mike and Bryan had planned an Aang-Katara romance from the very beginning, and any Zutara tension stemmed from Ship Tease and not any serious hints, but I think the teasing worked a little too well. When Zuko and Katara had their moment of understanding in Ba Sing Se, I saw chemistry. When Katara was furious with Zuko for his initial betrayal, her hurt seemed like that of a spurned lover. When Zuko tried desperately to get Katara to forgive him, including waiting outside her tent all night and asking Sokka for advice, it played like a boyfriend or love interest wanting his significant other back more than anything. When they worked together, when she finally accepted him into the Gaang, when she hugged him (see picture), I couldn't help but root for them as a couple. And oh Lord, the finale. Katara turns to Zuko in a crisis. She's the one he looks to for reassurance when he's afraid to see Uncle Iroh again. It's Katara Zuko chooses to help him take Azula down, and it's Katara he freaking takes a bolt of lightning for when Azula uses underhanded tactics. Their interaction in the aftermath of the Agni Kai is just screaming for romantic resolution, and instead Katara goes and makes out with a twelve-year-old. Ugh. Like I said, I'll live with it. Maybe Katara and Aang went one to make a lovely couple, despite the fact that she acted like his mother for the entire series, and any romantic attraction was 95% on Aang's side (sorry, Katara ending up with Aang was such wish fulfillment it makes me want to roll my eyes). They have cute grandkids in Legend of Korra, at any rate. But I'll always wonder about what could have (and should have) been, and I know I'm not alone.

Other Avatar couples I enjoy: Suki and Sokka; I like the idea of Korra and Mako in Legend of Korra, but reserve the right to change my mind, since all I have to go on at this point is one trailer, the Comic Con presentation, and their character designs.

 

5. Josh Lyman and Donna Moss (The West Wing)

I am so glad I didn't have to wait seven years to see this relationship play out (having watched the entire series roughly over the course of my freshman year in high school). Josh and Donna weren't originally intended to be together, but Bradley Whitford and Janel Moloney had such great chemistry Aaron Sorkin decided to abandon the Mandy character and ramp up the UST. They bantered and sometimes made fun of each other, but beneath it all there was a fierce loyalty and a deep devotion. Even when they dated other people, their mutual attraction was clear. It was a joy and sometimes a frustration to see their love develop (and develop and develop) and finally come to fruition in the final season. While I would have liked to see how Sorkin would have handled Josh and Donna as a couple, I'm nevertheless very pleased with the moments we do have. There is so much I love about this pairing; Josh's note to Donna in "In Excelsis Deo," their hug, and him watching her read it, Donna's utter heartbreak when she thinks Josh might die, their not-anniversary in "Seventeen People," the cute snowball scene in "Inauguration: Over There," their wonderful first kiss in "The Cold," and the way they help each other through Leo's passing in "Election Day, Part Two" are just a few of the many moments that make Josh and Donna my favorite political couple.

Other West Wing couples I enjoy: CJ and Danny, Charlie and Zoey, Jed and Abbey, and (unfortunately never realized) Sam and Ainsley.

 

4. Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo (Star Wars)

Pretty much my all-time favorite movie couple. They bicker and they're sidekicks who fall in love, so obviously I ship them. No matter what I'm doing, every time The Empire Strikes Back is on, I have to watch the scene where they kiss for the first time. Their chemistry is amazing, and after all the tension that has been building up throughout the movie, it is thrilling to see them come together. Han is a roguish Jerk with a Heart of Gold, and Leia is a passionate, no-nonsense kind of woman; when you put them together, the sparks just fly. Yet they work remarkably well as a couple, too; notice Han's transformation from a devil-may-care mercenary in A New Hope to a lovable rogue with a Leia-sized soft spot in Return of the Jedi. Not to mention Leia's fluster in The Empire Strikes Back; normally she's so collected, but Han can make her lose control. Plus, they have some of the best exchanges of any characters in the series. Observe:

Leia: Into the garbage chute, flyboy!
Han: Wonderful girl! Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her!

Leia: Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerfherder!
Han: Who's scruffy-looking?

Han: You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.
Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han: I'm a nice man.
Leia: No, you're not, you're - (They kiss.)

And of course, the perennial favorite (and its reversal in Return of the Jedi):
Leia: I love you!
Han: I know.

How on earth does anyone not like these two together?

 

3. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)

"In vain I have struggled! It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

A great example of dynamic characterization and relationship building, Darcy and Lizzy represent one of the best-loved romances in all of literature. From "She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me!" to "dearest, loveliest Elizabeth," we see our protagonists overcome the eponymous pride and prejudice and become better people for it. I love watching their feelings change over the course of the book; just compare the first and second proposals and see how far they've come in just a matter of months. Oh so satisfying. Plus, Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth bring the characters to life so perfectly that I always picture them as I read. Basically, they go from this to this, and that is why I love them.

Other Austenverse couples I enjoy: Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey), Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley (Emma)

 

2. Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables)

If you've been reading my blog over the summer, you know how much I love Anne of Green Gables. Naturally, I love Gilbert and his relationship with Anne right along with it. In Anne of the Island, Gilbert tells Anne he's loved her since the day she broke her slate over his head. Well, that says everything right there, doesn't it? I will say I was furious with Anne when she refused him the first time around, but she needed to learn a valuable lesson about what love really is, and if she'd said yes right away, we wouldn't have gotten the beautiful and very sad scene where she keeps vigil all night because she thinks Gilbert is dying. Nor did their story get less interesting after they got married. I've always thought Anne's House of Dreams would make a compelling film, not least because of the heart-wrenching chapter where their first baby dies almost immediately after she's born. They go on to have six more children (!), and by the end of Rilla of Ingleside are still just as in love as ever. One of my favorite things about this relationship is how much Gilbert loves Anne; he's described as "worship[ing] the ground she walks on" at one point, and he tells her he couldn't make himself give up on her even after she turned down his first proposal. Aww. I love how they challenge each other in the early books, and how they never lose their spark even after they put aside their differences. They're a fantastic couple; I read their scenes over and over again.

 

1. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley (Harry Potter)

My favorite couple in the history of everything ever. Anyone who knows me knows I love Harry Potter (understatement of the century). When I was obsessively waiting for all the books to come out, the storyline I was most invested in was Harry's and how he came to defeat Voldemort. The storyline I was second most invested in was Ron and Hermione's romance. Ever since I read a J.K. Rowling interview back in 2001 explaining that there was "something going on" between them, I couldn't wait for them to get together. They are the reason I like bickering couples and sidekick romances so much. I love everything about them: their wonderful, UST-laden dynamic, the symbolism inherent in their being a pureblood and a Muggle-born in love, that Hermione makes the first move and it's because of the house-elves, that they affect one another in ways no one else can, that they argue because they enjoy it, everything. I had to wait over six years between when I read Goblet of Fire to when they finally got together in Deathly Hallows, but once they did, I wouldn't have it any other way. Ron and Hermione make me happy.

I used a drawing by fanartist Marta Tieves because her Ron and Hermione are almost exactly how I picture them. While I'm sure Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are lovely people, they're just not Ron and Hermione to me.

Other Potter couples I enjoy: Harry and Ginny, Molly and Arthur, Remus and Tonks, Lily and James, and a somewhat fleeting affection for Neville and Luna, although I'm perfectly fine with them marrying other people eventually, as JKR said they did.

That's the list! Here are my honorable mentions:
- Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable (Kim Possible)
- Vicky Austin and Adam Eddington (A Ring of Endless Light); I also love Meg Murry and Calvin O'Keefe from A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels.
- Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
- Rapunzel and Flynn Rider Eugene Fitzherbert (Tangled)
- Alfredo Linguini and Colette Tatou (Ratatouille)
- Carl and Ellie Fredricksen (Up)

Entertainment 2011: August 1 - August 31

Movies:
The Kids Are All Right (1st viewing)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (7th viewing)
Howl's Moving Castle (1st viewing)
Fiddler on the Roof (1st viewing)
Tangled (10th viewing)
Anne of Green Gables (1934) (1st viewing)
Anne of Avonlea (1975 BBC miniseries)

Books:
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (1st read)
Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot (1st read)

Howl's Moving Castle (and This Week's Miscellany)

Last night I watched Miyazaki's adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle. On the one hand, it was absolutely beautiful and really enjoyable to watch. On the other, it was basically nothing like the book. Considering I still haven't entirely made up my mind on the book, maybe this is a good thing, but a lot of the changes the movie made just didn't make sense. There was no reason to make the Witch of the Waste into a senile old lady. Why was Michael a little boy (who apparently goes by Markl)? What was the point in making the scarecrow-prince in love with Sophie? If you're going to introduce Lettie, why put her in just the one scene and then not bring her up again the entire movie? I'm thinking that if I hadn't read the book, I would be able to appreciate Miyazaki's film for what it is. Certainly it is a very pretty fairy tale. Jones's book is a deconstruction and affectionate parody of the fairy tale genre, though, so I'm thinking Miyazaki either missed the point or liked some elements of the story enough to produce his own wildly different variation of it. I just missed seeing Sophie be really awesome at the end, I guess. So ... yeah. I've now seen my fourth Miyazaki. Spirited Away is still my favorite. Which one should I watch next? I've seen Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Ponyo.

Here are this week's other happenings:

• Today was Myers-Briggs day at work. I'm an INFJ, which actually made a lot of sense when I read the description. Apparently Eleanor Roosevelt was also an INFJ, and she's one of my favorite historical figures ever, so hells yeah.
• Boy Meets Girl is so darn predictable and has every Cabot quirk I don't like. I shall prevail, though, because this woman's writing is like my crack. I wish I could quit you, Meg Cabot! Except no, I don't.
• My knees hurt from too many lunges. Ouch.
• I am enjoying my Very Potter Musical soundtrack way too much. My neighbors haven't knocked on my door and asked me to stop singing along yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do.
• Inconsistent Internet is inconsistent. At least I'll be back in the dorms soon, where I rarely have any Internet problems.
• Ahh last week in the apartment. I shall be a laundry and cleaning fiend next weekend. This weekend, though, I plan on being a lazy bum. No one can stop me!
• The weather is so gorgeous right now. Other than the mosquitoes, I would love it if every day was like today.

Flawless weekend, here I come!

Summer's End

Today was my last day of paid work at Noah's. While I'm sure I'll be back soon on a volunteer basis, it was a little sad saying good-bye to the kids this afternoon, knowing I'm not going to be around for a while. I got a nice hug from Noah, who really is very sweet once you get to know him. Asher, always high energy, kept jumping on the little trampoline the boys have in their playroom and then trying to leap into my arms, which was cute. It'll be nice to have more free time, especially as I'm moving back to the dorms very soon, but I'll miss seeing the boys on a regular basis. Kids are so much fun.

Other than my farewell to the boys, I spent my morning trying to get the Internet in the kitchen to work consistently and then helping Jackie get Pottermore access. She's in, thank goodness. I'm debating whether or not I should blog my Pottermore experiences once the beta site opens. Would you be receptive to that, readers? I don't really know what to expect, but I am anticipating awesome things, since this is the brainchild of Jo Rowling. More on that front when I have something to report.

Nothing else of note is happening. I had a nice walk around Barracks this evening, since I had to bring back a RedBox DVD anyway. Netflix just sent me Howl's Moving Castle and the first volume of Batman: The Animated Series, both of which I'm very much looking forward to. Happy almost-Friday, everyone!

Good Life

Hallelujah! The kitchen in my sublet is close enough to the UVa network that I can get Internet without trekking over to the South Lawn. It's not the strongest connection in the world, and I can't lounge around my room while I use it, but at least it's indoors and I can bring the fan over if I get too warm. As I told my mother yesterday, I can survive without Internet. It's just so much easier when I don't have to.

Work was fairly standard and I had a good time playing with the kids today, even if I got caught in the rain without an umbrella on my way from the bus stop. The real fun of the day, however, came after work, when Kaitlin dropped by for dinner and Deathly Hallows: Part 1. We made Thai stir fry and then settled in to watch the movie. Kaitlin hasn't seen the last few Harry Potter films because she's (understandably) disgruntled at how the earlier ones came out, but she told me after we finished this one that she liked it much more than she expected to. Unfortunately she's a little busy with summer classes for us to go see Part 2 in theatres like we'd planned, but we're thinking that maybe we can have a group outing when we all come back to school in a few weeks. Already I'm impatient for third year to start, although admittedly I'm getting along fine without the homework.

There's not much else going on. I'm reading Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot, which ought to be a quick read, and then I'm moving on to Lorna Doone (perhaps the snack cookie fits in somehow). Oh, and my parents are amazing, but I'm pretty sure they know that already. Bonne nuit!

August

The Internet in my sublet temporarily stopped working today, so I wandered over to the South Lawn to use the UVa network and enjoy the fresh air. It's a nice night out, apart from the mosquitoes I just know are attacking my legs right now. UVa's never this quiet during the school year. I really miss my friends, so I'll be happy to see them when I move back to the dorms in a few weeks, but I also like the peace and solitude. The no-homework thing is pretty nice, too.

When I woke up I felt a little queasy and seriously contemplated just staying in bed all day. Then I told myself to stop being a baby and make breakfast, so I did. I went to work for a few hours in the afternoon, ran some errands, and then went home and watched The Kids Are All Right. I'm not sure if I liked it - the characters have some big-time issues - but it felt so real. As much as I love dialogue-heavy shows like The West Wing and Gilmore Girls, I have to admit that sometimes they're too witty and too rhythmic. Everyone in The Kids Are All Right talked like people actually talk, and it was kind of refreshing. Mia Wasikowska also makes a convincing American teenager, although I guess that shouldn't surprise me, since she's only a year or so older than I am.

My laptop power's running down now, and I want to check some other things before I subject myself to an evening without Internet, so I think I'll end this here. Buenas noches.