Project: Paper-cut card

So someone I know launched her own studio, which is an amazing feat, and I decided a card is much faster to make than—say, an A3 cutting—because I only had maybe a week or so to work on it. (Even as a full-time bum, one week isn't a lot of time to go from conceptualizing to designing—and endless redrafts, given how quickly I change my mind about things—to buying materials, printing, and cutting (and re-cutting in the event of design or cutting mistakes), to presentation.)

This was the final product I gave:

The envelope was a simple one—Paul Jackson's angled envelope—made with tracing paper. The card design itself, lord that must've been the third of the three completely different designs I was working on.

I started out with a grid of letters ("congratulations") on a seamless pattern (which I took forever to decide on) but halfway through that, I started thinking of a variation of Cirque des Rêves (yes, based on The Night Circus) which had a circular motif and a typeface with beautiful swashes (Giza Pro).

Finally, because it was all getting overwhelming and (needlessly) complicated, I settled on this much simpler design which also meant an easier cutting time.

What I used:

• Typefaces:
  • Hello Script ("Hazel" and "I wish you every success")
  • Moon ("congratulations")
  • Reislust (the last two lines from Robert Crawford's 'Advice' which, fuck me, yes I didn't catch that I'd attributed it to Richard rather than Robert Crawford until I finished cutting and it's too late to reprint and re-cut. Major UGH.)
• Paper: Campap watercolor paper, 300 gsm, 229x305 mm
• Triangle pattern: I took a single triangle from a hand-drawn seamless pattern set then manually pasted it around (using Transform Each to rotate/copy). I thought of using the Symbol Sprayer tool but this was such a small canvas it was actually much faster to manually create the pattern than to spray, then shift/scrunch/size, etc.
• Colorful watercolor background from Freepik.com
• Silhouette: DIY from a photo of Hazel I found in her FB album

Making this card (as well as having 10 more sheets of watercolor paper left in my block) makes me want to do more cutting! So far, I've decided to do another card—this time, one with a quote in a simple pop-up—and two seamless geometric patterns. Will get those printed out at the only print shop I'd go to since I have the time to travel there—he works with a lot of students (from the nearby art school) so he's really patient and comes at really low rates and great advice (plus free throw-ins like cutting and scoring haha)!

Why

... do I appear to have an unnatural amount of anxiety about the interview this afternoon?

And, honestly, I don't think I'm anxious about screwing up the interview or that I'm nervous about being turned down for the position after the interview. I feel like I'm more anxious about being offered a position than having the interviewer dislike me. =( This is so weird.

Halp!

A One-Eighty?

What happened since the last post:

• Yesterday: A call from someone from a recruitment company asking me whether I was interested in a training position; promised to email me a detailed job description;
• Yesterday: A call from a local library body asking me to attend an interview next week;
• Yesterday: Came across a comms position that actually excited me (plus it's located in the east!) and I can't wait to apply;
• Today: Before I could even start doing up my cover letter for that comms job, a call from a local university library asking me about my availability for an interview in a fortnight and a promise to send an email to me once the details have been confirmed;
• Today: I actually got a reply from a local welfare group who had previously told me I wasn't going to be considered as a candidate because my expected salary was too high but to which I asked to be considered based on my experience and skills—it is really short notice, but they've asked me to go in for an interview tomorrow!

Now, of course, in an ideal world, I'd be getting job offers from all these interviews, but I know that's hardly going to be the case. I'm just now a little torn about what I would like to do IF I did manage to get different job offers.

I'd sent off applications for many library positions because I think I want to start on my MSc next year (if I found work in a library within this year, then hopefully my manager/employer could write me a recommendation letter to strengthen my application for the MSc). The interview with the local library body is for a short-term contract (ending at the end of March 2016) at a public library while the position with the university library is a permanent role.

PROS:

• They're library jobs and I actually like working in a library (although I'm not too sure about public library work—I've only ever worked in academic libraries)
• The more library work on my résumé, the stronger my MSc application.
• University (or research/academic) libraries are where I want to work.
• The university library that called me this morning is the only university in this country offer the MSc; I could kill two birds with one stone (if I got the job and got accepted into the MSc program).

CONS:

• Location—oh holy fuck they're on the west side of the island, with the university campus practically located in the neighboring country (yes, that's how FAR away it is), and the commute might just kills me.
  
  I know this is the only con that I can see (for now) but it's a very frightening, pragmatic, and realistic one. I'd gone for an interview at that same university a couple of weeks ago (for a position I didn't even apply wtf) and my dad drove me. It was THE. LONGEST. CAR. RIDE. OF. MY. LIFE. The train ride home was similarly THE. LONGEST. TRAIN. RIDE. OF. MY. LIFE. (Well, they're not—I've taken road trips and train rides between Auckland and Wellington—but that car ride and that train ride were so boring they felt like the longest journeys ever.)
  
  Some years ago, my friend Jen received a work-study scholarship for her MSc at this very university. She eventually dropped out of the program because of the commute and the people in the office. =(

Okay, that's just one dilemma. The other one I have is about the types of job I've been applying to. For the interview I'm going to tomorrow ...

PROS:

• It's at a great (central) location (and near both an aerial/pole arts studio, art schools where I can perhaps pursue a certificate or part-time diploma in Visual Communication/Communication Design or any other design/artsy-crafty course, and the national library)!
• If I got the job, I might just get to work with the wonderful and smart and tireless women who are involved in producing CEDAW shadow reports (which I only got to know about thanks to the QUILTBAG group).
• There's a direct train from this job's location to another local university where I can pursue an MA by coursework (in Linguistics/English Language or English Literature). I figured if my goal is to become a subject librarian, I should have both a Masters in a subject and in library studies, no?

PROS:

• I don't know what kind of a (professional) future I'd have in that organization—I don't think I'll be able to become a professional (i.e. as compared to being a librarian).
• Going away from library work then applying for the MSc is likely to weaken my application ...

Once I finish and send in the application I'm writing, I'd have applied for two Communications-type jobs. These are actually interesting to me because I think the jobs would require me to both design and write—two things I think I'm actually decent at and which aren't completely snore-inducing for me. However, I have no interest in pursuing a Masters in Mass Communication at this point (even if it is a professional degree) and I think I might have to start at the bottom of the food chain in this field if they don't recognize the communications and promotion/marketing work I did in the library. I really enjoy visual communication-related tasks and want to continue to develop my skills in design as well as the software used.

Bah. This is thinking too far ahead. Damnit, I should've only written post if/when I actually have job offers ...

Anyway. The best news today is actually the fact that when I googled Mephisto's name, his Twitter account is the top result! HE'S ALIVE THANK THE GOOD GODDESS!!!

Funny Side

Look on the funny side of things, maybe?

Surely it is better to laugh in the face of desperation and dread than to implode and crumble?

Of course, perhaps it is one of my life's learning goals to learn HOW to do exactly just that—laughing instead of fearing and collapsing.

A Few Flicks

Hindi movies I watched since my blogging hiatus (in the order I watched it):

• D-Day

  I think I was in the 'serious' and action-type movie phase when I watched this. I liked the film but was really sad at how it ended for Irrfan's character.

  Sigh <3 Irrfan! (<3 <3 <3 Irrfan more when he collaborated with AIB!)

• Ungli

  Eh ... the flick was okay. It had so much potential but ultimately failed to deliver. Poor Arunoday Singh's role was so tiny, never mind Kangana's. WTF, if you're gonna cast her, her character needs to have more to do!

• Talaash: The Answer Lies Within

  Awesome. Film.
  
  Rani was radiant but I wished she had a meatier role. Bebo's character reminded me a little of her Chameli. Sigh, those Chameli days seemed almost innocent. So nostalgic ...

• Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!

  YES I FINALLY WATCHED IT! Even though I was a little underwhelmed by it (thanks to my high high high expectations for it), it was still good — a proper whodunit (though not quite as intense as Rahasya).

• Dum Laga Ke Haisha

  Awww, this was the sweetest film I watched this year. The chemistry between the leads, the story, the feminist-leanings — all quite lovely. Plus, for once, I actually like an Anu Malik soundtrack (mainly because of nostalgia).

• Desi Boyz

  Oh lord, why did I watch this?

  ... Prolly because of Akshay and Chitrangada Singh. GIVE THAT LADY A PROPER MOVIE AND STRONG ROLE ALREADY GODAMNIT!

• Dil Bole Hadippa!

  I want to like this but knew, going into it, I was never going to.

  Didn't buy the Rani-Shahid Kapoor pairing (because I don't like him). Don't ever want to see them as a couple in a movie again. I need to rewatch She's The Man to figure out which was a better take on Twelfth Night than Trevor Nunn's version (which I couldn't sit through).

• Don 2

  Ugh.

  SRK.

  Ugh. I really must try not to watch any of SRK's old films.

• Son of Sardaar

  Oh god, why ...?

  I must've been in the mood for something brainless when I decided to watch this.

• Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

  Ugh, no.

  Just ... NO. (For fuckssakes, NO MORE SRK MOVIES, GIRL!)

• Singh is Kinng

  Okay, I know this is a dumbass comedy but I was already well disposed towards it when I first saw the music video that had Akshay and Snoop Dogg in it. Man, that was funny! I even played it for my kids before my workshops.

• Khiladi 786

  Actually, I didn't mind this so much (even with Asin in it). I do love me some Akshay action-comedy. He's like the Jackie Chan of Hindi cinema — but so much MOAR SEXAY.

  AND I actually liked the title track (not so much 'Hookah Bar' though)!

• Singham

  Watched this for the sexay Ajay Devgn. Was not disappointed.

  If Hindi cinema decides to rip off Hollywood's Taken franchise, there are now at least two contenders for Liam Neeson's character — Akshay and Ajay. (But, all in honesty, if anybody wants the Hindi version to surpass the rather low-bar standard of the English one, then have a good screenwriter or two *coughReemaKagtiFarhanZoyaAkhtarAnuragKashyapVishalBhardwajTigmanshuDhuliaAparnaSenUrmiJuvekarcough* tweak the screenplay and cast Nawaz, Irrfan, and Radhika Apte.)

• Singham Returns

  More sexay Ajay.

  Did not like the Ajay-Bebo pairing. Wow, the age gap between the male and female leads is beginning to bug me more and more.

  Also, I just saw a picture of a prepubescent Bebo and Salman Khan together. The caption said she was being consoled by him. All I could think of was: HOW THE FUCK do you play the romantic lead opposite someone you watched grow up?! That's like a million fucking shades of gross ...

• Happy New Year

  You know, every time I think Farah Khan couldn't get worse, she pulls an even shittier film outta her ass.

  Lady, we get it. You have a huge crush on SRK. GET THE FUCK OVER IT. (On the other hand, kudos to Farah for not making her crush nearly as gross as Stephanie Meyer's on the Edward vampire.)

• John Day

  Sigh, another film with potential that failed to deliver. BUT WHYYYY? The actors were so good, why and how did the film fuck up???

• Cash

  Speaking of fuck-ups ...

  Well, at least I got to ogle at Sharmita Shetty's rather delectable figure.

• Chaalis Chauraasi

  For some reason, my mind is mashing up the narrative of this film with what I think are very similar films, like Barah Aana, Mithya, Ek Chalis Ki Last Local, The Film Emotional Atyachar, etc.

  But this film is still better than any SRK film.

• Gabbar Is Back

  I like these 'social justice' type movies! Which other movies are in this vein??

  The schadenfreude in such movies is addictive. Who doesn't love it when the little guy (i.e. your aam aadmi) sticks it to Da Man (corrupt govt/authoritative/wealthy asshats)?

• Break Ke Baad

  I ... must've been in the mood for brainless rom-coms. Imran Khan is good in rom-coms but he'll always be Tashi to me.

  That said, I'm looking forward to Katti Batti. Imran Khan + Kangana = WIN (fingers crossed)!

• Khoobsurat (2014)

  I'm surprised I liked this more than I thought I would — and I actually found it to have rewatch value. Sonam Kapoor does excel in playing ditzy girls although she really isn't much of an MPDG.

  Aw, the good ol' days of no-kiss Bollywood films ...

• Players

  Yeah ... no.

  I was still in Welly when this was shot (C and I actually saw part of the shooting at Jervois Quay/Civic Square area although I don't think I saw any actors, just the Mini Coopers). The film was dumbass-shitty, but the shots of NZ — specifically those of Welly — brought back memories. NZ will always be one of my first-loves (there are many types of first-loves: pole is my first-love aerial-type activity and NZ is my first-love country).

• Fox

  The story sounded promising. The movie was shit.

  Maybe it would've been better had they cast better leads than Sunny Deol and Arjun Rampal ... and can the goddamn song-and-dance routines.

• War Chhod Na Yaar

  HINDI CINEMA NEEDS TO COME UP WITH MORE SATIRES LIKE THIS (although with less slapstick, thank you very much). I love love love the song fights and the affectionate bickering between the Indian and Pakistani camps. We're all just human, after all — why can't we just all get along?

  (Because money. Yeah, I know.)

• Bajatey Raho

  This one's okay, but Khosla Ka Ghosla was so much better. If I'd known, I'd have rewatched Khosla rather than watched this cuz the plot is almost exactly the same.

• Mickey Virus

  I've still yet to watch a decent hacking-type movie. It seems like movies don't do computer/hacking well. Everything looks so dumb.

  Also, Manish Paul looked too old to play the Mickey character. That said, I would like to see him in more comedies in the future.

• Piku

  Have I mentioned how much I adore Irrfan Khan? <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

  And Deepika in a non-romcom role is always a win (see: Finding Fanny). Girl, give up those lousy movies and do more awesome films like these! And, for once, I actually liked AB Sr. in a movie (never was a fan).

  I watched this as I was eating lunch — I didn't know better. I do now ...

• Tanu Weds Manu Returns

  Well, I didn't finish watching this. Couldn't bear to. I didn't want to see Tanu mope over losing Manu. Girl should've hooked up with Kusum (or Raja). I really don't get Manu's appeal. He's not a very likable or attractive character. I'd rather Raja have more screen time.

  Can someone cast Jimmy and Kangana as leads (opposite each other) in a decent film, please? Does the Saheb need a third wife, maybe?

Motivation

Well, it's been ... awhile. A long while, to be sure. I left my job, had lovely gifts and a send-off from my colleagues, and have been bumming ever since and it got a little dark ... too dark for me to handle.

But I think the dark clouds have passed — at least for now. I've been riding this wave of can-do spirit this week and I hope it doesn't peter out too soon.

The last time I'd been despondent (though maybe not as desperately as the past few weeks) was when my thyroid condition left me incapable of doing the activities I love and I just gave up.

Then, one night, I happened to catch just this bit of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted on telly/cable:

Katy Perry's empowering lyrics, the visuals — but especially Alex and Gia, and Marty and Stefano, flying through hoops, etc. — suddenly motivated me to stop moping, get off my ass, and start working to get back to where I was. (It was a long process: I started aerial yoga without even being able to do the easiest things; it was just really horrible. I'm stronger now, controlling the thyroid condition with meds, training under a great aerial yoga instructor, and thinking of getting back into aerial arts, starting with the hammock and/or lyra.)

The other things in my life ... well, I hope what I've been doing this week is the first step to getting back on track. I just need to find more aural and/or video motivation.

Addendum: I can't believe I forgot to add that meeting with Ola on Sunday, soaking up her optimism and listening to her fresh (and positive) perspectives, was prolly the gust that blew the dark clouds away.

Multiply (In A Minor Key)

My guess: The almost-full moon, my period, and physically, emotionally, and psychically stressed and exhausted. So it's a 'Multiply' kinda day — that one with a soundtrack composed of 'Addict', 'Hurt', 'Multiply (In A Minor Key)' and X-Japan ballads.

Of course I did what I always do — shut down, went offline, and did a bit of therapeutic cutting.

It's the simple roll box which I got from Paul Jackson's Folding Techniques for Designers: From Sheet to Form to which I added random patterns I cut into the long-side panels. It looks okay, but I think the patterns should be planned next time so the two sides that each has two layers would look nicer.

I think for Hazel's gift I might do a shadow box/frame with different folds on which patterns are cut. White on white on white maybe.

As I was folding and unfolding, cutting, and refolding, I watched (casually, meaning with an ear open but without really watching the screen) Bobby Jasoos. I do like this movie but it's mainly because of Vidya; Ali Faizal did fuck-all and didn't look very compatible to Vidya. The story was interesting enough but the denouement was a bit of a letdown.

I also finished Bol Bachchan — oh lord why had I even started on this in the first place?! It's Rohit Shetty, ffs. Argh, why don't I ever learn???

It's ridiculous to feel so bloody fragile and sensitive that every little thing seems to matter and bruise the soul so much.

So tired, so tired, so tired, so tired ...

May Day

So this holiday, the only Hindi the free-to-air channel showed was Highway. Oh my god, YES. I finally watched it.

It. Was. FANTASTIC. Alia was a revelation and Randeep Hooda did a great job.

I cried when Veera's dream shattered; I cried when she broke down. I've always wondered what other people would do when this happened — when you managed to touch or experience or even just catch a glimpse of something so beautiful it's soul-stirring and changes you and your world, then it's gone ... because it was only a dream from which you have awaken. Something forever beyond you.

I thought Veera would try to kill herself, which I'd thought would be kinda 'happy', but the actual ending was actually better and even optimistic.

Anyway. WILL BUY DVD SOON!

Off-In-Lieu

Left work at 14.00 to drop something off with a friend who's leaving for an overseas trip then went home in time to avoid being caught in the torrential and awfully scary thunder-storm.

Anyway, came home, ate, and finished watching Ankur Arora Murder Case — which was very sadly disappointing. And where do I start?

For one thing, the songs really detracts from the narrative tension. Also, the little detour with the public prosecutor and defense lawyer was totally unnecessary. I think it could've been a taut courtroom drama/thriller by itself; instead, the trial (as well as the twist/denouement which both could've been a little more fleshed out) was given short shrift in favor of an extramarital affair that led to an unwanted pregnancy which resulted in an abortion/miscarriage/accidental suicide.

I guess the disappointment arose from my expectation that this movie would be as good as Rahasya (which incidentally also featured Kay Kay Menon and Tisca Chopra in major roles).

Anyway, what's next — should I continue with the gritty-type movies or take a break with some fluffy romance? Or maybe something middle-of-the-road, like Filmistaan or Sankat City or Antardwand ...?

Goes Away In The End

It's just one of those days, I guess.

Maybe it started with the news of the Nepal quake, which I'd read about before I even got out of bed. Then at aerial yoga, a classmate from India was quite indignant that not many people seemed to care — because, Nepal is a country that, as she said, is "not important".

So after cooking this week's lunch, I looked for a show that would indulge this downward spiral and settled on That Girl in Yellow Boots, figuring if an Anurag Kashyap movie couldn't make you utterly depressed, prolly nothing else would.

I actually like this movie a lot. The actors were all fantastic, but Kalki — she was the light in the murky shadows of the movie. And, I thought, she had never looked more beautiful than she did in the lift scene (back to the massage parlor after realizing who the father she had been looking for was) — pale and completely broken.

The sequence in the streets during which Prashant was looking to kill Ruth's father reminded me a lot of Chungking Express. It's not Christopher Doyle's signature frenetic style, but the streets and the crowds and the futile searching all came together in a way that was reminiscent of Takeshi Kaneshiro's chase and his (later) futile search.

I didn't really get the connection between the cult/god-men-pedophilia thing that Wiki mentioned, mainly because I think Arjun/Benjamin Patel was said to have been told to leave the ashram. Also, was Rajat Kapoor's cameo meant to be a red herring? If not, then it's a really weird and short cameo.

Anyway.

Nine Inch Nail's 'Hurt' makes my skin tingle. I guess it's a feeling, a — not need — want, that never really goes away but just hides right beneath the skin, waiting to bead, bubble, and surface with a scratch.

Or something.

I've always thought Maximilian Hecker's 'Rose' was the song to slowly bleed into oblivion to.

Day 2 of 2

What I watched today:

• Listen Amaya
  Watched this because Auntie Al's client/friend recommended it and because I saw a trailer of it and thought it could be interesting, but mostly because DEEPTI NAVAL.
  So ... it was a decent show. Made me cry a couple of times and Amaya really pissed me off. Don't talk about giving her a slap for her insolence and selfishness, fucking smack her already.
  Also, few times everybody burst into song and dance (especially right at the start of the film) were jarring and — I thought — completely unnecessary.
  This is gonna be a show I'd recommend but would personally never watch again. Because fucking Alzheimer. =...(
• Badlapur
  It took me over an hour after Listen Amaya ended to decide on Badlapur. I'd actually started on Raqeeb but the non-chemistry between Sharman Joshi and Rahul Khanna was too awkward for me. Anyway, Badlapur (does it mean "Change-ville"?).
  I'd been looking forward to watching this but having watched it, I'm a little pissed off by it. Nawaz was great as usual — I think he does the slightly sociopathic pothead well — but he didn't make the movie any less bitter.
  I did not understand Dhawan's character. Raghu should've been a more sympathetic character — he never was (this is not to say Dhawan didn't do a good job in this role; he definitely did ... and without dancing until the end titles were rolling!). I hated that he targeted and used women — raped Jhilmil; murdered Kanchan; humiliated nearly every female character who didn't have the decency to die within the first 15 minutes of the film.
  Not. Okay.
  Can't recommend this to anybody without prefacing it with TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL AND VIOLENT ASSAULT ON WOMEN.
• Billu
  It was either this or Ankur Arora Murder Case; since I'd just seen Kay Kay Menon in a non-villainous role, I thought I'd leave off a movie in which he, again, played a horrible person. Therefore: Billu.
  I think it could've been a much better film had they used someone else other than the King Khan. That said, I do get that SRK was a great fit. I just hate it when he does maudlinness (see: tearful speech at the school function). GAAAH.
  Irrfan Khan was utterly, utterly heartrending as the simple, decent Billu. When he doesn't play a villain, he always make me laugh and/or feel so, so, so sorry for him.
  Lara Dutta is the most glam woman in the whole village despite being perhaps the poorest. That woman isn't made for the village girl roles, I think. I mean, she did a better job than I'd expected in Billu; she maybe should stick more urbane roles.

And back to work tomorrow ... =( On the plus side, I'll prolly spend my day in the office feeling a little high from my cough and flu meds.

Day 1 Of 2

Managed three movies today:

• Zodiac
  This one is good. I found it a little too long but totally worth it. I would've rewatched it if not for its runtime of over two and a half hours.
  I get the obsession and it's such a horrible compulsion, but — boy oh boy — the thrill of the (paper/info) chase. YES.
• Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty
  After a great film such as Zodiac, I found myself in the mood for other similar movies but less ... heavy. So I decided on Holiday.
  I actually found this one enjoyable (despite the lousy role they gave Sonakshi, not to mention her pairing with another dude old enough to be her father) and I think it has a high rewatch value. In fact, I may even like this more than Baby.
  I like to think of Holiday as the desi Taken because there was a scene in which Akshay and the other pretty face actually had a telephone conversation along the line of "I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you". Off the top of my head, there are only two Hindi film actors I can think of who should play Liam Neeson's role in the inevitable Hindi "remake" of the Taken series: Sunny Deol and hamara ek number Khiladi.
  While I found the song-and-dance sequences a pain in the ass and totally disruptive of the flow and tension of the movie, I do appreciate the brief romantic interludes (even if they featured Chi Chi — cheeeee) because they helped cut some of the tension, but what in the fucking hell were Sonakshi's screen parents thinking, matchmaking their college-aged daughter with such old men?!
  Sonakshi's role seemed to have been shoehorned in just for comic relief. Couldn't the scriptwriter just find a non-romantic comic element (which I thought the Mukund character was meant to be)?
• Rahasya
  Continuing my unusual streak of decent movies was Rahasya. GREAT WHODUNIT!!! I'm not sure I have seen a (more or less) taut murder mystery in recent years. I wonder if the Hindi film industry has produced more such movies in recent years?
  This is also the first (I think) movie I've seen in which Kay Kay Menon didn't play a villainous role. His CBI Officer Paraskar is right up there with Nawaz's Khan (Kahaani) and Ronit Roy's Bose (Ugly). If Sushant Singh Rajput's Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is in the same vein, I'm pretty sure I will like the movie as much as I've been looking forward to watching it.
  God, I hope there's a list of great detective roles in contemporary Hindi cinema that I can use to guide my movie selection. The best detectives are usually eccentric, intense, and offbeat (yes, apparently my preference is heavily colored by RDJ's and Cumberbatch's takes on Sherlock Holmes).

More on day two? We'll see.

Sleepless Week

Yeah, that was last week. It was hard fall asleep immediately upon hitting sack, so I ended up doing little exercises and/or watching YouTube clips till 1 am. That horrible sleeping hour coupled with the time I had to wake (06.30) meant I was just tired all the time when I wasn't totally jacked up on caffeine.

So, not only did I not finish my readings for yesterday, I watched zero movies. However, I did manage to make it to aerial gym on Wednesday night with a couple of girls I got to know through aerial yoga, and saw many familiar faces (and got back on the lyra!) at aerial gym.

After discussion yesterday, we had dinner together again, and drinks again. I do like these outings with the QUILTBAG group. It didn't even occur to me to feel out of place until Auntie Al mentioned and asked me about it. True, I know nothing about and have never been involved in the LGBTQ scene here, but that is why this QUILTBAG discussion group is such an educational and illuminating experience for me.

I have to admit, too, having read the readings given to us I feel inflamed with desire — a need, even — to do something. To give back, from the privileged position in which I have begun to realize I stand.

Then, as I was walking my dog earlier tonight, I thought about the brainwave one of familiar faces at aerial gym had: How about we combine a space for cirque practique with a small kitchen service (that includes wine/alcohol)?

YES. To expand PH's idea further: Obviously, nobody should get up on an appartus when they're less than sober, so we can either restrict entry to the apparatus area once alcohol is being served; or, we install door bitches at the apparatus area. I know the people who go to the dance/yoga studios I'd gone to are all middle-class (and above) — or at least have disposable income. I would like to have these people direct their money to worthy (local) causes while they enjoy themselves. Also, the F&B area will have to source locally, if not from fair-trade imports.

The fact is, among all these lovely people I meet at the studios are people who can cook and bake (one of them even does it professionally), and are artistically inclined. We could beg for their help or hire them.

The only question is: How sustainable is this? My cynical and pessimistic side says: NOT AT ALL. With space at a premium and rent sky-high, unless there are angel investors and someone with good business sense at the helm, and a lot of hard work and long hours, this is but a pipe-dream.

Anyway. I felt the need to watch a silly Hindi film today to avoid feeling overwhelmed by my thoughts and emotions, so I watched Doli Ki Doli ... which was perfect because this movie was underwhelming.

There is no real tension, no real story, and there isn't even a character to root for. The blasé ending could've been ameliorated had Robin Singh not burned the damn 'looteri dulhan' file.

I mean, as Dolly herself pointed out, they do what they do because they're good at it. A better ending, therefore, would've been Robin smiling to himself as he reopens the 'looteri dulhan' file and continues his cat-and-mouse game with Dolly and her gang. Robin and Dolly could've met every so often when he catches up to her.

Anyway. it's an "AK" production so I guess I couldn't expect too much from this film ...

Only Three

Two Saturdays in a row now that I've gone out to dinner and some socialization with the group post discussion, which means fewer movies watched. Not that I rue the time spent not watching movies.

I borrowed four DVDs on Thursdays but only managed to watch two, and watched a Hindi film today. So the three:

• Collateral
  Uh ... watchable, I guess. A bit of the letdown in the denouement. I don't understand Tom Cruise's character at all. I prolly would watch it again if it were playing on FX or some other cable channel, but not otherwise.
• The Hundred-Foot Journey
  Was hoping for a sweet and gentle film in the vein of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, but nope. It's watchable enough. Inexplicably, I found Manish Dayal to be Julian Cheung's Indian doppelgänger — no idea why. It's food porn plus the delectable Helen Mirren and yet ... I found the movie insipid.
  I thought the bit after Hassan left for Paris was too rushed and not well fleshed out. Actually, maybe the movie should just focus on Le Saule Pleureur's and Maison Mumbai's rivalry, the xenophobia and racism (which resolves in two interracial relationships, yay), and the harmonization of cultures and cuisines.
  Also: Why did Om Puri play Juhi Chawla's husband?! He's too fucking old. Holy shit, I'd thought she was playing his daughter and that Hassan and his siblings were "Papa's" grandkids. Another also: I thought Juhi Chawla looked terrible and totally blame the lighting and cameramen and whatnot. How could they conspire to make her less than her radiant self?!
  And, goodness, the entire family must've been so traumatized to suffer through two major attacks by fire. Like, holy shit, that's horrible but they all seemed so very well-adjusted? I don't know ...
• Baby
  I didn't like this as much as I thought I would — and, in fact, found much of the tension in the film really contrived.
  If Special 26 was Neeraj Pandey's take on an Ocean's Eleven-esque heist, then Baby was his take on the political-ish thriller, Argo. That's just my uneducated opinion though. Baby apparently had great reviews ...
  Okay, but I must say there were plus points. One, Priya (Taapsee Pannu) could kick ass and take down Wasim Khan without resorting to below-the-belt hits (which I was screaming for her to do during that fight scene). I actually screeched, "Kick him in the balls! I don't know whether Neeraj Pandey is feminist enough to not kill you off as collateral damage!!!"
  So Priya is actually one level up from Constable Shanti (Divya Dutta) in 26 since Priya had something to do other than mouth throwaway lines. (Sadly, apparently the women who play Akshay Kumar's significant other in Baby and 26 are more or less as insignificant in one movie as in the other.)
  Second plus: Akshay Kumar shirtless! Can Kumar and Ronit Roy both be shirtless in the same scene in the next movie, pretty please? Needless to say, their inks should be allowed to show!

Okay, must hunker down to finish my reading AND finish watching the other two DvDs I borrowed by the end of this week.