The Tourist

Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch "The Tourist"

You can imagine with all the chitter-chatter surrounding it lately, that I wasn't expecting a terribly great movie however, as far as story line goes, I thought it wasn't bad at all.

It wasn't long into the movie when one of those watching it with me suspected the twist... and after that point I lost a little bit of interest.

Having said all that though....
The movie was so hard to watch simply because of Angelina Jolie.
I don't normally dislike her, in fact, I think she's given some great performances in the past, but it was that permanent haughty look throughout the entire movie that annoyed me! I wanted to groan in despair every time she came onscreen!
Yeah, we mere mortal women get it, she's pretty. Was it really necessary to throw it in our faces over and over and over again. How did this enhance the story line? What point did it have for the storyline itself??? None!
At least, very little...

Johnny Depp's performance was ok. He looked different. A little aged and puffy... He didn't stand out but if you had to ask me what he could have done to enhance his character, I don't know. I'm not an actor! Maybe he was supposed to come across as a confused, innocent bystander that's just happy to go along with whatever's happening to him.

Overall, the movie was generic as any other action Hollywood movie and I guess they make them because that's what people like to see.
Same storyline, different actors, different locations.
What set this one apart was the "I'm so gorgeous and I know it" look of Angelina.
If you can stomach that, then go ahead and watch this movie but remember, you have been warned!

When you're right, you're right...

Well thank you Jennifer Aniston!!!!

I can't believe we're in agreement about something!

After all these years of listening to a certain someone, poo pooing me when I said "there's nothing special about that!!" turns out, Jennifer actually agrees with ME!!

I knew it!

Singing a happy song

It's been a while since my last blog and it's not that nothing's happened, it's just that too much has happened and I never know quite where to start!

For those interested, my New Zealand blog, complete with pictures can be found here.
click top right for the next day...


So life is slowly going back to normal. I went back to work this week and while it wasn't fun, it was good to wake up and have a purpose, even if that purpose was to go to work!

But the thing that's excited me most of all, and hope it won't be a temporary thing, is that I've joined a choir!


Anyone who knows me knows I love singing and have been singing in one capacity or another all of my life.
I've never really seen myself as a front person but love being part of a singing group so this is just perfect for me!
I went to my first rehearsal Thursday night and new immediately this is where I wanted to be. The women were very friendly, and no one really cared how you sang, they were just happy that you wanted to sing with them because they just love to sing!
At least, that was my first impression.

Now I'm not that idealistic, I know that lots of women (and this is a female only chorus) means lots of hormones which can mean bitchiness and cattiness on some level.
I didn't see any of it that night and I'm going to do my best to keep the mood as positive as I saw it that Thursday night.

The only thing I was disappointed about was that I didn't know the songs yet so I couldn't sing out! I was doing my best to sight read the music I was given but didn't really succeed... Since Thursday night, I've been practicing and feel like I can confidently sing my parts in at least two of the songs.

So now, I can't wait until Thursday!!!

Happy Holidays! What??

It's that time of year again when the holidays are upon us.
The school year is over and many people take time off work to be with their families.

I'm always in two minds at this time of year.
While I love spending time with family and I love the excitement that the holidays bring, I hate the commercialism that goes along with it.

I hate the crowds that are at every shopping mall and I'm so terrible at knowing what gifts to buy for people that it gets very stressful and I find myself counting down the days till it's all over!!

But this blog today is about whether to Christmas or holiday.

I really don't understand why people would get so upset about businesses wishing "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" or god forbid "Merry Xmas."
The fact is, there are people all over the world who believe different things.
What if we had a majority of Jewish people in this country? Should we only say Happy Hanukkah? Why should the majority dictate for all?

Those who think we should only say "merry Christmas" in this country would be the first to object if the government decreed we should have a happy Hanukkah instead. There's separation of church and state for a reason!

Doesn't "happy holidays" encompass all religious and non religious groups? And why would I be offended if someone said this to me? Would it change what I believe? Of course not!

People get way too sensitive.

So no matter what your personal beliefs are, please don't be offended this season if someone wishes you happy holidays or seasons greetings.
Remember this season was celebrated as the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere before anything else so no-one can claim originality!

Most of all, think on all that is good in your life and love and appreciate the people who love you and accept you no matter what.

Peace out!

Learning from the past...

If you work in an office, or regularly participate in the activity of receiving and forwarding bulk emails, you would have no doubt, seen the email that goes something like this..




"CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gob stoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents.

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's always ruled the playground at school.

And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!


I've edited the email somewhat but I'm sure you get the picture.

Every time I read this email, it raises my annoyance level a little further. Yeah congratulations, YOU made it! YOU survived, as if we're all so much over the top today. But is that all that matters?

What this email originator doesn't get, is that although we survived, MANY didn't and their deaths/disappearances/accidents & diseases could have well been avoided.

Sure, life is different today and you know why? Because we KNOW BETTER!!!

And while there will always people who will be too careful and too over the top, you should never berate a parent who actually gives a damn about what their kids are doing, who they're hanging out with, and being contactable at any given moment.

We know better.

We've learnt from mistakes and that doesn't mean we're doing it perfectly now... But we are doing it better in somethings and hopefully, we will continue to learn to make this a better world for our children's children.

Quiet please (well I did say please)

Hubby and I went through a stage where we watched a lot of tennis.

I always found it fascinating that the umpire/referee or whatever you call that guy who sits over the net, could call out "quite please" between games and the crowd would immediately quieten down to a pin drop silence.


It's fascinating but you have to think, why the hell do the players need complete silence?

Can you imagine a football umpire requesting complete silence when a player was shooting for goal?

Can you imagine the cricket umpire requesting for silence when a bowler was coming in to bowl?

In every other sport (apart from golf I guess) crowd participation is not only ok, it's encouraged but no, not so for tennis! They require complete silence to do their best.



Aside from that though, it's the sheer power of the person wielding that command that gets me!
I want a tennis umpire in my living room to say "quite please" every time someone opens their mouth when we're watching tv!!! Heck I'd pay good money for that!

And can you imagine if you and your significant other or children are having a domestic dispute, he could intervene with a "advantage mum".
Yes, I like it!

I know what I want for xmas...

Now excuse me while I just go dd tennis ref to my xmas wish list...

At Last!!!

As some of you know, hubby and I have been regularly doing the Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty route lately. I just love it there!

A month or more ago, we were lucky enough to see a koala there. As bad luck would have it, I didn't have my camera!


Every time we've been there since, I've made sure to bring my camera but haven't had any sightings.
There were no more koalas to be seen.



Today hubby and I went there and decided to go a slightly different way to the top. The path was nice and peaceful. We saw a bird with a red splotch in front of it. I don't know what type it was but couldn't get focused on it quick enough to take a decent picture.








Hubby tried to make me feel better by pretending to be a koala but although I appreciated the effort, it wasn't much consolation.















We got to the top, caught our breath, had a drink and came back down. We decided to go back the way we came.


Near Cleland Park, I got a fabulous surprise!

Right in front of my eyes was a kangaroo!!!

It was a small one... It didn't have any fear of us and came out right in front of hubby and I.


I was madly snapping away with my camera. When the kangaroo crossed the path, we saw that it went to join another, much larger (mother?) kangaroo who was waiting for it and they slowly hopped off together.





It seems they expend so little energy for such big movements. What incredible creatures!


And if that hadn't been enough, when we passed the site where we'd first seen the koala, not only was it back again, but it had a baby!!!!




It was the most amazing thing and I couldn't help myself and had to tell everyone who came by the path while we were there

"Look there's a koala and it has a BABY!!!"









Cameras were taken out by all spectators. We were quite the paparazzi!!!


Such a fantastic experience. I can't wait to go again!