Let’s begin with Hollywood, the place where executives keep cranking box-office-hit wannabes hoping one of them would be the next Avatar. The superhero movies, with the exception of Captain America, ended up disappointing. Thor? Ew. Too weird. Green Lantern? When even Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively can’t save the movie, you know it’s a disaster. Transformers? After the second one, I wondered how I had ever stomached Michael Bay’s films. The Green Hornet? I saw it twice (don’t ask) so I refuse to delve into that nightmare once more. Luckily, I found X-Men: First Class to be refreshing, due to the cool Michael Fassbender. The final Harry Potter film and the latest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean did not disappoint but they did not impress either. On the animated front, I quite enjoyed Kung Fu Panda 2 and absolutely adored Rio, but didn’t quite get Smurfs (no matter how hilarious Hank Azaria’s Gargamel was). To be fair, there are a lot of movies I haven’t seen yet. On the top of that list is Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, followed closely by French silent movie (no, I’m not kidding) The Artist, then The Muppets and We Bought A Zoo.

When it comes to television, I have more patience, unlike TV networks, who have been so eager to pull the plug on so many hopeful series. To be fair, most of them deserve their fate or were not expected to last long. The new Charlie’s Angels certainly was a disaster. Other than the new series that I’ve reviewed, only Once Upon A Time turned out to be a winner. Prime Suspect, which is gritty and funny (yeah, seriously), has been cancelled. Another one that I adore, Pan Am, looks to be going the same way, if ABC lost their guts. The returning shows are doing okay and settling nicely into their age (ha ha) although I do wish Grey’s Anatomy hadn’t ended the way it did last year; thank God it returns this Thursday! The British shows are still going strong: Downton Abbey treating us all to a bonus Christmas episode on top of the already splendid second season it gave us. Sadly, Spooks, that gold standard in espionage TV series, ended after ten years. What a sad ending. Here’s hoping the TV writers will keep working hard and do better than the lazy screenwriters in Hollywood.

The Line-up of Spooks for Series 10

Music? Well, judging from the fact that LMFAO was such a big hit, just one thing: dance music still ruled. Yay! They’ve given us such gems as “Cheated”, numerous badly written songs by Rihanna, and Taio Cruz’s (who has amazing vocals but insists on staying in this genre) “Hangover“. I’ve provided links to the lyrics if you’re interested in knowing how inspiring the are. Maybe I’m just not capable of having fun. Who cares?

My life? Well, suffice it to say that I had to learn an important lesson the hard way (yet again): everything changes. I could elaborate but I’d rather not. I need to learn how to move on. And book those Wicked tickets.

In July 2011, I have spoken about why I fell in love with the iPad. Worry not, it’s not going to be another ode to how awesome it is; I will just elaborate on how the gadget has revolutionized my life, in tiny insignificant ways. Oh, and I will also provide you with the apps that I frequently use, obtained from reading multiple recommendations and reviews that experts post regularly.

I read mostly on my iPad these days. There are always novels around the house; one by the dining table (yes, I’m that person who likes to read while eating, as long as there’s no company), and a few on my bedside. In addition, I treat myself to a light reading paperback or a biography hardcover once in a while. All that aside, the rest of my reading material comes through the screen of iPad. I use Stanza and not iBooks, simply because the app is flexible. Stanza will take books in any form and doesn’t require connecting to iTunes whenever I get a new book. With the aid of Calibre, my e-books are neatly organized and transferred easily between my laptop and the iPad. Despite what I previously thought, reading an e-book comes with several advantages. You can use the ‘search’ function to find your favorite section instead of going back and forty. Bookmarks can be made with a tap, as well as annotations. The volume of the book is not readily visible, so even if it is an enormous book, you will not be intimidated before you start. How else would I have the heart to read all the books from the Song of Fire and Ice series? I’ve also read the entire Percy Jackson series (plus The Kane Chronicles and The Heroes of Olympus), the final book of Eragon, The Marriage Plot, and Bossypants, all on the iPad. I would have read more; I can read even faster on the iPad. It’s sad that Kindle is not available in Indonesia. I would be reading so much more if I had access to the Amazon store.

I still love books the best. There’s no greater feeling than being absorbed in a story while turning the pages as quickly as you scan the words on the page. The smell of new book, the satisfaction you get from perusing the shelves of a bookstore. Even the paper cut I occasionally get. Nothing can compare. Then again, what’s wrong with reading them on the iPad, as long as I don’t give up completely on actual books?

Apart from books, I also get my magazine on the iPad. After the kind people from the Vanity Fair UK Subscriptions told me that I could not renew my subscription online (Indonesia being a country so full of frauds), I gave it all up and got the iPad edition instead. Not quite the same feeling and this means my pile of VF copies will never grow beyond its current level (sob) but once again, I feel victim to my shallowness. What I do get from the digital edition is extra content in the forms of live links (all relevant), some bonus features, and multimedia content in addition to the articles. And the ads, of course. These ads, by the way, change appearance when you rotate your iPad. Add them all up and suddenly this digital edition looks oh so irresistible. On a more functional (and therefore sensible) note, I also got the Empire magazine app. As the best movie magazine in the world, it is the perfect magazine to read on your iPad. They provide trailers with almost every major feature or review article. The multiple covers on the real magazine? Well, you can get them all here and you only have to pay once. If you want to subscribe, you totally can. Again, this will not replace actual magazines, but there are perks to having them.

I’ve mentioned how awesome Flipboard is. In fact, it is how I get my news these days, separated into neat comprehensive categories and all relevant to my interests. Recently, I’ve taken to Zite, which is similar to Flipboard, only looks more professional and resembles a magazine more closely. And the developers are from Vancouver (yay!). iPad apps also discover new music for me, which is awesome since discovering obscure artists is a great hobby of mine. When I have a lot of time to sift through the maze of indie and unknown songs, I open Music Hunter or Shuffler.fm.I usually end up with at least one cool band no one else’s heard of. Having an iPad has also reinstated my desire to learn from iTunes U, where we can download free lectures from so many prestigious halls of learning all over the world.

Music Hunter. Customizable to your taste.

Confession: most of my blog posts from October-December were typed on the iPad. Once the drafts were complete, then I transferred them via e-mail to my laptop for editing purposes. I employ a number of apps for writing purposes. MaxJournal helped me make notes while on holiday (hence my posts about the trip to China), UPAD makes it easy for me to write random notes with my fingertips, Pages and iA Writer are my go-to apps for typing.

My other apps are far less exciting. Facebook and Skype serve my social networking needs, the requisite Angry Birds (all three of them) to pass the time, FlexPlayer can play any video file without converting them to mp4 or .mov, and Remote is perfect when I’m feeling too lazy to skip a track on the iTunes playing on my laptop…3 feet away from me. Home Sharing, you have revolutionized technology.

The year 2011 in music was dominated by Adele. This came as no surprise to me; I’ve been a fan since her debut album, 19. Lady Gaga and Katy Perry also had a very good year, so did Beyonce and Taylor Swift. I won’t discuss the hip-hop artists or dance, the former because I know too little of them and the latter, simply because I find the genre a joke. This post will only go over the artists I just came to love recently. Excluded from this list are: Florence + the Machine (whose dramatic music I adore, but they’re already way too famous), Sara Bareilles (ditto), anyone who won/almost won a reality singing show, and old-timey artists who have been dead for fifty years (yes, I first heard about Sam Cooke six months ago). Filter them down and this is what I came up with. Brief reviews in all, since I am not qualified to review music thoroughly.

Matt Nathanson

Not a newcomer to the music scene, the folk/rock singer-songwriter has been recording albums since high school. He has opened for Train, Pink, Maroon 5, and will soon be touring with Kelly Clarkson. His songs have been featured in so many TV shows you’re bound to recognize them. That’s how I came to like his music, anyway.

His last two albums are the ones that really got some recognition. His latest, Modern Love, released earlier this year, is the only I truly fell in love with. The songs vary from upbeat (Faster, Modern Love) to haunting (Kiss Quick). There is also a collaboration with country duo Sugarland. After getting my hands on Some Mad Hope (2007), I’ve pretty much put the contents of both albums on my iPod playlist and haven’t removed them since. His lyrics are powerful and his melody catchy and soulful.

Gavin DeGraw

Ever since his song became the theme song of the teen hit series, One Tree Hill, Gavin DeGraw has become an artist to watch. His first record, Chariot, remains my absolute favorite to this day. I’ve even got the stripped version of the album. The second and third albums are not bad but his latest, Sweeter, was the one that made me remember how talented he really is.

With his songwriting skills and nimble fingers on the piano, Gavin is remarkable. Then you throw in his raw powerful voice and you’ll get something worth listening to for the rest of your life. Currently recovering after the beating he received this August, he’s still performing and making incredible music.

Rumer

Born Sarah Joyce, the British singer-songwriter, used to be in an indie band before setting out on her own. Her amazing record, Seasons of My Soul, was released in 2010 but I didn’t hear about her until July 2011, when she performed in the iTunes Festival London. A few internet searches later, my earlier thoughts were confirmed. Rumer is Karen Carpenter born again. Up until then, it was my belief that nobody could ever sound like that again: deep, rich, full of sorrow and passion. Yet, here she is, sounding like it is still 1970s.

Extraordinarily unique, soulful, and a songwriter to boot. I hope her next record is coming soon.

When it comes to competition cooking shows, I’ve seen them all. From the original Iron Chef, an over-the-top Japanese offering that pits one chef against another more masterful one, to Top Chef, where professionals are competing one another for money and fame, and finally, the MasterChef series, which is perhaps the biggest franchise of all among these monsters. The original version, from the UK, has amateur cooks battling it out in a series of increasingly difficult challenges, sometimes in teams but more often as individuals. The American version has done very well, mostly due to judge/host Gordon Ramsay’s renowned…er, passion (and the other judge’s incredibly hurtful as well as inscrutable reactions). It also happens to have been edited to show the contestants’ deep loathing for each other, which they express readily and regularly every time the camera is on them. The result? It overshadows their cooking. Which brings us to Australia. (There is an Indonesian version, but that one seems to been more concerned with giving away sponsor prizes).

MasterChef Australia is perhaps the longest competition reality show I’ve ever seen. Over 14 weeks long, it airs six days a week, eliminating two contestants a week and dedicating Friday only for a “Masterclass”, where the two hosts/judges, with the help of a guest chef, demonstrates cooking techniques they could have used earlier that week. The competition is friendly and the show truly focuses on the cooking rather than the contestants’ opinions of each other. The judges are tough but fair and they don’t throw away food into the garbage. In short, it is a real competition cooking show.

Which brings us to Junior MasterChef Australia. Kids, aged between 8 and 12, come to audition for this show and they end up looking better than most of the people who appear on the American version. The big people version, that is. These kids have skills and talents I can’t even begin to comprehend. They possess creativity that wows the best chefs in Australia. They treat famous chefs (whom I’ve never heard before in my life) like true rock stars. They root for each other. And they are still so very cute. What, I once asked myself, is in the Australian water that can make these kids make pasta and temper chocolate while still in elementary school?

Cute as a button, cooks like a pro

Granted, the judges were generally much kinder and more helpful to these contestants. They provided recipes more often and naturally the standard of judging is lowered to a more realistic level. When they failed miserably, some of them cried and the judges would console them and get them back on their feet. In fact, they probably had other help from the staff throughout the season; it was just never shown on TV. Maybe. Then again, I don’t really care. These kids are passionate, they are knowledgeable and the food is amazing.

Given the choice of watching egomaniac amateur cooks trash-talk each other or being wowed by children who can make a Beef Wellington, I’d go for the latter. Wouldn’t you?

A Kid Cooked This!

Filed under: Today's Special ]]> http://darkhumorist.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/year-in-review-this-is-not-4/feed/ 0 Yuni juniorchef1 juniorchef2 juniorchef3 http://darkhumorist.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/year-in-review-this-is-not-entry-three/ http://darkhumorist.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/year-in-review-this-is-not-entry-three/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:47:37 +0000 Yunitan http://darkhumorist.wordpress.com/?p=565 ]]> Woody Allen

January 1, 2012 perhaps is the slightest bit too late to discover just how talented Woody Allen really is. The writer/comedian/filmmaker is 76 going on 77 and he’s been making films for more than forty years. I’ve seen ten or so of his movies, which I just realized, is barely scratching the surface of his true contribution to the world. Then again, a definitive documentary on his life (and therefore his work) was only aired by PBS last month. Only after finishing both episodes did I begin to understand something.

Woody Allen is the ideal man for me.

Theoretically speaking, that is. Keep in mind that the first time I’d ever heard about him was during the whole Mia Farrow brouhaha. And no matter what the explanation behind the story is, to me, he will still be the man who fell in love with his girlfriend’s adopted daughter. So, no, I am not in love with him. I just love his movies, the lead character (who is practically him), and his dialogues.

Woody comes from a comedy background and he got his success early on by putting his hypochondriac/neurotic intellectual personality on the silver screen as the main character. I haven’t seen any of his early films but based on what I saw in the documentary, they seem to be very hilarious, if not slightly absurd. As an actor, he basically played himself in slightly different situations in most of his movies. As a filmmaker and writer, though, his talent really came through.

Annie Hall remains everyone’s favorite Woody Allen work. Critics can’t get enough of it and it is better known as the one that introduced Diane Keaton to the world. Diane is amazing and perfect in Annie Hall and the film represents Woody’s style beautifully, but my favorite is still Manhattan. Is it because it was shot in black and white? No. Is it because Meryl Streep was in it? No, although she really did look very gorgeous in this movie. I love this movie best because it is (deep breaths, cliché coming) “the ultimate love letter to New York City”. That, and it is the perfect embodiment of Woody’s style in filmmaking. Not to mention, that one shot. You know which one I mean.

Shot on location. Just so beautiful.

The film starts with shots of New York with Gershwin’s Broadway/Jazz music in the background. Then Woody’s voice jumps in, narrating his character’s emotions and story. Soon, we slip into the middle of a conversation carried on by him and his sophisticated buddies. You don’t get exactly what they’re talking about but they all sound so smart and so cool that you don’t care. The rest of the narrative plays out like a real piece of life, not the faux-reality we see in romantic comedies. Dramatic moments are not as glaringly obvious as they are in other films, instead the plot just flows smoothly, powered on by Woody’s witty banter. There is no explosive ending that changes everyone’s life. What you do get after watching Manhattan is an inferior feeling knowing you’ll never write anything as amazing as that. Oh, and a deep love for Woody Allen, of course.

Since the 1990s, it seems that Woody’s career has slumped. He still makes at least one film a year, but the box-office results have not been impressive. He made a splash on the news when he decided to make a movie…outside New York! As it turns out, this was the right decision. He seems to have reawakened his passion (Scarlett Johansson might have had something to do with that) and Europe seems to love him oh so much. After shooting in England (Match Point, Scoop, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger) and Spain (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), he moved to Paris, where he shot his biggest-selling movie to date, Midnight in Paris. I saw it last week and it is brilliant. I am therefore looking forward to Woody Allen returning to America and the award season circuit once again. Oh, and his next film is going to be shot in Rome, I think.  Mamma mia, I can’t-a wait for that.

Oh, yes, the ideal man thing. He’s funny, he’s smart, loves jazz (plays the clarinet), loves New York (I’m still holding out for a better “New York, I Love You” in which he directs a short film or maybe ten of them), and he’s neurotic enough to be interesting. He’s cultured but not pretentious, complicated without being an emotional wreck, and romantic to the core. What else do I need?

Earlier this year, I reviewed Easy A and mentioned just how talented young actress Emma Stone is. Since then, she has appeared in Friends With Benefits (where she dumped Justin Timberlake before a John Mayer concert), made playboy Ryan Gosling fall in love with her in the ensemble drama Crazy, Stupid, Love, and convincingly portrayed a forward-thinking Southern white girl in 1960s Mississippi (more on that later).  So, yes, she has real acting skills that go beyond comedy and being the love interest for nerds and losers (Zombieland and Superbad).

I first saw Emma Stone in the failed TV series Drive. To be honest, I didn’t notice anything special about her (although I did  wonder why the show was canceled, it was decent and it had Nathan Fillion). It was not until The House Bunny that I made a point to remember Emma Stone. While Anna Farris was the main star of that film, Emma’s nerdy redhead character really stole the show. She somehow utilized her sultry voice, which normally sounds sexy on a woman, to make her character even nerdier and more of a loser. How on earth did she do that?

Still, even more intriguing is her personality. In her interview with Vanity Fair, she is revealed to have a deeper, quirky soul that keeps her away from the party lifestyle of celebrities her age. She truly is funny, as seen in both times hosting SNL, and fearless in her choice of roles. Her next big role is Peter Parker’s girlfriend in the latest reboot of Spiderman. Like her character, Gwen Stacy, Emma is more than just a pretty face.

In a somewhat unorthodox casting decision, Emma was chosen to be the lead character of The Help, a film adaptation of a best-selling novel about the lives of maids in Jackson, Mississippi in the Civil Rights Era. Her character, Skeeter, the brainy single girl who dreams of becoming a writer, is much taller than petite Emma (hence the name “skeeter”, short for “mosquito”). Putting that aside, she managed to keep up with the heavyweights in the film, the likes of Viola Davis, Sissy Spacek, and Mary Steenburgen. In fact, when it comes to ensemble acting, there are hardly any other movies that can compare to The Help this year. In addition to these illustrious names, there are Allison Janney (of West Wing fame), Octavia Spencer (whose comedic skills are just beyond amazing), and breakout star of the year, Jessica Chastain, who has done brilliant work in at least three or maybe ten other films recently. The usually demure Bryce Dallas Howard is unrecognizable as Hilly, the racist queen bee of the society.

If you haven’t read the inspiring novel yet, here’s a little plot description. Skeeter, just returned home after graduation, seeks a way to become a writer. After an editor from New York tells her to write “something real”, Skeeter decides to write about the lives of maids who work for her friends. Exercising caution along the way, Skeeter finds two maids willing to help her despite the enormous risk of writing such a book in that period. As Skeeter delves deeper into these maids’ stories, she has no idea how much impact the book will eventually have on all of them.

Until the trailer of the film came out, I had no interest in reading the book. I felt it would be just a tad depressing. It was, don’t get me wrong, but as I read more pages, I found the voices of the characters drawing me in. The story has funny moments where you least expect them (mostly from the character Minny who makes wise cracks especially when she shouldn’t) and certainly is capable of wreaking havoc on your emotions and tear ducts. Perhaps some part of me identifies with Skeeter. If only I had her courage and determination.

The film adaptation takes shortcuts in the story, of course. Some relationships are not developed as well as they could have been and a lot of the background story on the lesser characters, such as Jessica Chastain’s Marylin-Monroe-ish housewife, is not given any screen time. Nevertheless, the soul of the book is still in the movie and the emotional impact can still hit you hard. Particularly when the actresses are of such calibre. Well, the movie’s been nominated for a lot of things so fingers crossed they can recreate their box office success in the award circuit.

The Actresses of The Help

Noble Ned Stark on the coveted yet deadly Iron Throne of Westeros

There were three epic miniseries scheduled to debut this year on American cable channels. The first one, and the one I was most excited about, was Camelot. It had a familiar King Arthur plot, backed by notable English names, and generally sounded like it would be a hit. It didn’t and somehow, I never warmed to it. The second one was The Borgias, an account of the powerful and devious Italian family in the Renaissance Era. It had promise: sex, betrayals, and poisonings all wrapped up with religion and politics. And Jeremy Irons. The DVD of the first season is still untouched in my drawer. One episode was enough for me. Last came Game of Thrones. Based on a series of novels by George R.R. Martin, the story is set in a fictional universe, also filled with sex, betrayals, and a lot more gory violence. I’d never heard of it. It didn’t appeal to me whatsoever; it sounded too geeky, even for me. Until I saw it, of course.

I read them ALL on the iPad, by the way

Halfway through the season, I picked up all the books in Song of Fire and Ice Series (GoT is the title of the first book) and devoured them as fast as my eyes and brain could handle it. I was hooked. But why? What is so special about them?

When it comes to the books, I can’t give an informed assessment. I don’t usually read books of this genre, unless you count Lord of the Rings (and I don’t, considering how tame LotR is). I can, however, testify to one thing: the story is compelling. The characters are rich and the language is colorful, accented with a touch of Medieval English, right down to the spelling of names. The series is partly based on the Wars of the Roses in England, and you’ll be tempted to find the parallels to real world history (I was) but relying on your own imagination is probably the best thing to do when reading. Five books in (with a few more to go), the author can still surprise you and frustrate you with the plot. And there is no way of telling what happens next. I certainly learned that in the first book.

The series, aired on HBO, is brilliant. The writing is flawless, the acting impeccable, and for some reason, people get drawn into the story. Speaking as a person who normally gets turned off by excessive mutilation and blood spatter (both of which, along with nudity, feature quite a great deal in the series), I don’t seem to mind at all. The characters are plenty, and the number will only increase (as well as the deaths); the plot so convoluted that you will need to keep a database to keep track of what’s been going on. There is a lot of talking, plotting, dreaming, praying, and cryptic foretelling; more than enough to bore you silly. Yet strangely, it hasn’t, not even for my brother who has very little patience for this kind of thing. Game of Thrones is a superb adaptation of the book.

Tyrion Lannister, the greatest character in the show

Normally, I’d start a review with a simple plot description. You’ll notice I haven’t done that in this post because it is near impossible to do so. If my attempt in the following paragraph only serves to confuse you, please don’t let me intimidate you into not watching it. You WILL like it, I promise.

In the realm of Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the King has just lost his Hand (his adviser, not the one he uses to eat and wipe his…oh, you get it) and decides to travel to the north to persuade his old friend, Ned Stark, to take up the position. This decision sets off a chain of events that will trigger a long period of endless conflicts, from the faraway lands where the rightful royal family currently live in shame, to the cold north in which the wildlings and creatures of the dead wage a quieter war. Chivalry and treason lay side by side with gallantry and valor. In this bloody Game of Thrones, everyone is either a pawn or a player. Who will come out on top?

Yeah, I can’t believe I got addicted to this show, either.

Then again, I wasn’t the only one. The HBO show has attracted so many people you’ll find its influence everywhere. This week, I have played two computer games, in completely different genres, which both feature elements from Game of Thrones quite blatantly. The first game, a fantasy turn-based strategy…oh, whatever genre it really is, features a Wolf clan and a Stag clan (the two main houses in the series, other than the Lion) in addition to “Seven Cities”, the place where wizards supposedly live. The other game, a hidden-objects game where the player must release disturbed souls trapped in a haunted house (yes, I sometimes play this kind of crap), I got to help the soul of one “Ned Stark”. Yeah, right. GoT was also mentioned in an episode of Chuck, the geekiest show of all. I’m sure there were more mentions of this phenomenon out there, but you get the picture.

In the meantime, this little teaser is for the fans who can’t wait for season 2. I’m sure you’ve already seen it.

Since I’ve resolved to have 10 (albeit disjointed and not in order or categorized) things on this list and very little determination, I’ve decided to post them one at a time. Ideally, one a day. This way, I will be forced to write daily. If there’s anything I hate more than work, it is an incomplete list.

I’ve never believed in Santa Claus. Not surprising, considering my childhood is spent in a highly pragmatic home with no chimneys in a tropical country where it never even comes close to snowing. My parents have never celebrated the holidays and in school, kids were FORCED to go to church. We were also introduced to Zwarte Piet early on. A remnant of Dutch culture (who colonized my country for 350 years and made little to no significant contribution to the nation), he was the darker companion of Santa who punishes naughty children. Not exactly delivering the whole happy and generous front of Christmas. I never used to exchange gifts, had a Christmas tree, or ‘decked the halls’. Nothing in my real life ever set me up to think of Christmas as special. Until I discovered movies.

My first Christmas film was Home Alone. It would play on TV every year (subtitled, but virtually everything is dubbed in Indonesian TV now, lazy jerks). I would sit through hours of awful commercials just to stare at Chris Columbus’ depiction of a typical American Christmas, minus all the ridiculous home invasion stuffs, of course. The sequel, though, became one of my all-time favorites. It’s the one where Kevin flew to New York and spent Christmas in Manhattan. That Rockefeller Tree he visited when he missed his mum? The first time I ever saw it was in the movie and it has become my laptop wallpaper. Every year, without fail.

There have been plenty of movies ever since. Black-and-white classics (Miracle on 34th Street, It’s A Wonderful Life), cheesy made-for-TV Hallmark bits (can’t remember a single title but will recognize them), and December-themed romantic comedies (Love Actually, The Holiday). I will gladly watch them over and over again. In fact, for the longest time, that is what I would do every year. Sit through a movie marathon. Alone. Then I moved to Vancouver. Where holidays are celebrated with an almost religious fervor (er, you get what I mean). Lights and decorations on houses range from sweet to ‘Sweet Jesus, that is a big reindeer’. Bus drivers put on Santa hats as they wish you Merry Christmas. The Christmas tree is a real tree, that smells like the woods. Kids actually make snow angels, snowmen and throw snowballs at each other. I’d died and gone to heaven. (In a metaphorical way, that is. I’ve long ago accepted that heaven, at least in the religious sense, is not a realistic part of my afterlife).

Suddenly, I didn’t have to spend Christmas alone. Sure, my roommate ditches me to go to church but I didn’t seem to mind back then. I would receive gifts in the form of sweaters and scarves. My family would invite me to a Christmas dinner (once, with turkey). Friends came to my apartment to get dru…I mean, get cooking. Even going out alone didn’t feel miserable. The atmosphere all around was enough to warm the cockles of my heart.

Cue Reality, in the form of Surabaya. Where holiday decorations are pathetic, even in malls. Christmas was tolerable when I still had my friends. This year, ho ho ho, it will be unbearable. I shall return to my movie marathon tradition again. No, wait, the DVD player broke. Well, it was cheap and I got a lot of use out of that piece of junk. Maybe I can enjoy something on TV. Fingers crossed! On Christmas Day, I will have the pleasure of taking a road trip to my grandmother’s house (total trip time: 9 hours minimal, but it will most definitely be longer).

Can’t really complain much more than that, though. I’ve got my Christmas music, this blog post, and…eh, let’s not think about what I do have. It only makes me miss what I had in Vancouver. So, Merry Christmas people. Here’s hoping you’ll have a happy one with your loved ones by your side. Because if you don’t, you will have a blue Christmas.

Perhaps I might not write that depressing Christmas post yet. But, then again, what should I write for my Christmas post? I have NOTHING upbeat to discuss.

Also, this useless entry on the blog? Is my 100th post, y’all!