Floating Leaf

Here's a cute meme stolen from taelyn_sass:

You Have a Hippie Soul

You are free as the wind, and you don't like following rules. You're open minded and nonjudgemental. You just enjoy the journey of life. You're neither a leader nor a follower. You're own your own blissful path. You believe that people should love more and hate less. It's really that simple.

( And another one: )

Anyone remember the 30-day meme?... It went around sometime last year, and I got started on it, but, predictably enough, never finished. But I haven't forgotten about it. I just tend to take things at my own pace.;) So perhaps I should rename it "30-month meme", or something.:D Anyway... it's just a list of random topics that can be used as inspiration when you feel like you have nothing to post about.:P And the reason I am coming back to it today will become clear later on. But first, here's the full list again, in case anyone else wants to do it (I'd love to read other people's responses, btw).

( 30-day meme )

I've done the first six so far, and you can find them all under the tag. Today's topic is covered below.:)

( Day 07 – Your best friend, in great detail )

OK, so I've been traipsing around YouTube, and here's what I found. Someone made a video of Viggo and Ariadna. Someone from Spain, I presume, since there are pics in there I've never ever seen, and some of them just made me weak at the knees. Why? Because it's Viggo-in-love. For real. Not just for a movie. Not that it doesn't feel absolutely real when he's doing it for a movie, but... you know. This is life. He isn't acting here. And neither is she. And the way they look at each other could probably melt an iceberg or two. But enough of my babbling. See for yourselves:



They are just so incredibly beautiful together. Even when he's blatantly staring down her cleavage... LOL (not that I blame him, either ;). And it makes me happy, because the die-hard romantic in me is always happy to see undeniable proof that mutual love exists in this world. Sometimes I tend to think it's a fictional concept, you know...

Anyway... my blessings to Viggo and Ariadna. Not that they need them, but yeah. Never lose that light from your eyes, ya hear me?... ***hearts & hearts & hearts***

God, I do sound like some sentimental granny. *embarrassed cough* /end transmission/

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite man:



Yes, this guy is 53 years old. Watch, world, and marvel.:D

Incidentally, I had a very nice Viggo dream this morning. ( cut for possible TMI ;) )

Just got back from seeing Sacrifice. WOW. It was... epic. In every sense of the word. I have said this before, and I will say it again: Chinese cinematography has no equal in the world when it comes to the art of storytelling. There is incredible power in the way each and every tiny detail contributes to the overall dramatic effect. It is all so perfectly balanced; never feels overdone, even during the most outrageously unrealistic swordfights with people throwing random somersaults and flying through the air.;) I honestly don't know how they do it. I mean, in a Hollywood flick it would (and does) look contrived; in a true Chinese epic, it is somehow profoundly symbolic. Or is it just me? There is something about the thoughtfulness and perfectionism of Chinese culture that resonates with me very deeply; nothing is ever meaningless or superficial, because nothing should ever be. Each blade of grass or each raindrop has a story to tell - if only people would listen. The Chinese know how to listen. Or it could be that their stories are always about REAL people, passionate and flawed, selfish and brave, faithful and hesitant, cruel and forgiving... No-one is ever black-and-white. So no matter how visually stunning and "otherworldly" the film may seem, you can easily identify with the characters and their struggles. Which is possibly THE distinctive mark of all really good stories. Sorely lacking in many Holywood productions, imo.

And that's the end of my penetrating insights for tonight.:P

Just got back from seeing A Dangerous Method. It was... sublime. Such a perfect piece of period drama, so beautifully shot and exquisitely acted. Viggo was great, of course - but then, he always is, so no need to elaborate upon it.;) Even if I wasn't too crazy about his prosthetic nose... LOL. I know, I know - he was supposed to look like Sigmund Freud, not like himself; but I have to shamefully admit that I found the fact I could only recognize the bottom part of his face pretty disconcerting.:) Which is, of course, irrelevant to the overall impact of the film. Freud is pretty much a background character in it, anyway. A very significant background character, but still... this film is about Carl Jung and Sabina Spielrein. Mostly, to me, about Sabina Spielrein. Wonderfully played by Keira Knightley. I know people have mixed opinions about Keira Knightley, and I suppose at some point I also used to think she was just a pretty face on a stick. Not anymore. She's done a bunch of really good, really interesting films in recent years, and this is possibly the best one of them all. And she totally pulls her weight (no pun intended... LOL). This woman has depth, I tell you, and I am very much in awe of her talent. And that is precisely what I have always found most attractive about actors. Physicality is secondary...

Anyway... the film is a true work of art, and I loved every minute of it. I will most likely go see it again when it hits the theaters at the end of November - not even so much for Viggo as for the entire experience. As for Viggo, I can't wait to see that film he just did in Argentina, where he plays twin brothers, one of whom assumes the identity of the other after his death. I just know that one will be another "Mortensen tour de force" - as someone once said about, I think, Eastern Promises. And, hopefully, there'll be no prosthetic noses involved...:D

The other two films I have seen so far were also interesting, but I think I'll write about them some other time. Now I feel really exhausted after all the running around I've done for the past few days. Just like I suspected, I'm going to take it easy tomorrow for a change.:)

I seem to have recovered from my minor bout of sniffy autumn blues.;) All it took was some nasal spray, medicinal herbal tea, Halls candy, homeopathic pills, hot milk with honey & garlic (grandma's recipe.;) and lots of sleep.:) Also, the sun came out, which definitely helped. It's still chilly outside, but not nearly as bad as it had been (I still sleep in my fleece pajamas, but the space heater is off for the time being). The weather forecast for the next few days looks bright and promising - let's hope it will stay that way through at least part of my vacation... *crosses fingers*

I checked the festival website last night, and guess what? A Dangerous Method has sold out already. I am SO glad I got my ticket in advance!!... *wibbles* It was definitely a wise decision. *nods sagely* ;)

I have tons of stuff I want to talk about, but as usual when that happens, can't make up my mind where to start. ( How about something funny then? )

To amend my previous post: A Dangerous Method will be a special presentation at the festival, after all. I'm not sure exactly what that means, other than a higher ticket price, LOL - but I shall see, I guess. I just ordered my ticket, btw. It's in two weeks... but better safe than sorry. That's definitely THE one festival event I don't want to miss.:) The Good Doctor is also a special presentation, as it turns out; but I am still hesitating about buying the ticket in advance, because I am supposed to get my period that weekend - and if I am not feeling well, then of course I will not go anywhere, and the ticket will be wasted.:/ On the other hand, if I do go without a ticket, it is rather likely that the film will be sold out. So I don't know. A regular ticket wouldn't be a big deal to waste, but special presentations are $20... *sigh*

Oh well. I guess I'll let fate decide.;) If I don't see it during the festival, I'll see it later. Same goes for a number of other films I'm interested in - I have something in mind for nearly every day of the festival, but I'll see how it goes and if I really feel like making that trip downtown every single day for over a week.:) I did schedule my vacation, though - so I am off from the 7th until the 18th, regardless. Which is longer than I've been off since... I can't really remember when, to be honest. *blinks*

Hopefully the weather won't be too bad; last year's October was gorgeous, but somehow I don't think this will happen again. It is already getting cold - I've been using my little electric space heater for the past few days. Mostly to warm up the bathroom before I take a shower - but still. By mid-October, it might be too cold/rainy/windy to spend much time outside... but we shall see, I guess. It's not like I can't occupy myself at home for a week and a half.:P As long as my internet works, that is. *knocks on wood* ;)

I am still downloading music like a maniac, btw - getting sidetracked at every turn and switching artists/genres/styles on a whim. The $25 I recently added to my Soundike.com account is almost gone. I need to slow down, probably, but it's just way too much fun.:) I've also been spending a lot recently on clothes, shoes, jewellery and such. Nothing too crazy, mostly cheap and practical stuff; but sometimes I wonder if I'm not overstepping my limits again. I seem to go back and forth between pathological stinginess and careless spending - if there is a golden middle between the two extremes, I haven't found it so far, and it is not likely that I ever will. It is as though my parents' genes are battling each other fiercely inside my brain, and there is no telling who will prevail at any given time... LOL.

By the way... I've been meaning to post some pictures of my new jewellery for quite a while, I just never got around to it somehow. So here goes. ( a bunch of discounted treasures under the cut )

Still busy downloading. I seem to have fallen head down into a misty ocean labelled "new age".;) You know... Era, Enigma, Deep Forest, Delerium and the like. The thing is, I was only familiar with a bunch of catchy tracks by each of the abovementioned music groups - namely, the ones that had been played to death on the radio back in the 80's/90's/whenever. Predictably, however, those aren't really the best or most interesting tracks - just the ones more likely to apppeal to "mainstream" music tastes (read: watered down to bland pop, more often than not). The real gems are the ones I'd never heard before. And there's a SHITLOAD of them - dozens of albums filled with unexplored treasures. Of course, "new age" can mean almost anything - from Gregorian chants to tribal drums to synthesizers - but that's precisely what constitutes its appeal. It can be a delicious crossover between various music genres and traditions. And combining numerous influences almost always leads to interesting results. My favorite artists/bands tend to be ones that don't fit easily into one particular music label (unless it's "new age"... LOL). But speaking of labels - I am greatly annoyed with iTunes for not recognizing the existence of either "goth rock" or "symphonic metal". I know expecting them to have heard of "art rock" or "progressive rock" would have been too much - but goth rock is pretty mainstream, I dare say. Yes, they have "gothic", but that's too broad and confusing - just like "metal". I mean, come on - there are dozens of different kinds of metal. Some of them I love - others cause unspeakable agony to my eardrums. How can all this endless variety be squeezed into one label?...

Anyway... don't mind me, I'm just a little jittery due to the final stages of PMS, and fussing over irrelevant issues seems to be my favorite pastime at the moment.:P

I spoke to my mother today, and found out that my parents are going on a road trip to the Appalachians in October. For a week, from the 3rd to the 9th. I don't know where exactly, and mom couldn't tell me either, since dad is the one planning the itinerary - but the main thing is, they are offering to take me along. And I am torn, because I haven't travelled anywhere in forever, and I love mountains and forests and the rich colors of autumn foliage... but on the other hand, spending most of the time up close and personal with my mother for an entire week?... Gods no. *shudders in acute discomfort* If it were just my dad, I could handle it - or at least if my sister & brother-in-law were also there to deflect some of her attention - but with only my parents, the BOTH of them, it would get pretty stifling pretty soon. I would be the only witness to their petty squabbles and the many ways in which they like to ridicule and demean each other, and I would be expected to take sides and/or diffuse the conflict, which would totally take the fun out of this vacation for me. And I would never have a moment alone, because I would be sharing the car and any hotel rooms with them all the time. Plus, my mother would most likely be hanging on to my arm whenever possible. Which might be fine for a few hours every once in a while... but not for an entire week. My need for personal space would probably drive me nuts very quickly. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl a little. And yet... I am well aware that no one else might ever give me such a convenient opportunity for an almost free vacation, precisely because I don't socialize and don't keep in touch with local friends who go on trips like this. And I am hardly going to take a road trip to the Appalachians by myself - especially with no car. *sigh*

So, I said I would think about it. I told them about my plans to attend the film festival, so I can use that as a reason why I'm not going (I can hardly tell my mother the real reason, can I?). Btw, the festival starts on the 6th, and it is rather likely that A Dangerous Method will be shown during its first few days - so if I went on the trip, I might miss it. But the festival schedule isn't out yet, and probably won't be until the end of next week, so I don't really know. Plus, the film is going to have a wide release pretty soon afterwards anyway. And I haven't seen/heard any news about Viggo planning to attend the premiere. However, if it turns out suddenly that he does, and I miss it because I'm somewhere out in the wilds being driven crazy by my mother... I don't even want to think about that, LOL. So I guess that's a no. But damn it!... MOUNTAINS. *bites lip*