Film Fest Update

OK, so "Hail, Proud and Immortal Labour!" wasn't so hot. The subtitles were really really bad (as in, the translator didn't speak English). Still, there were some cute moments and some of the music was neat (although some of the modern stuff they put in was bizarre, I don't know why they included it). Here's to "Broken Wings", tonights fare.

Vancouver International Film Festival

Vancouver International Film Festival

I won tickets and memberships to the Film Festival from CBC radio! A total fluke, but Toby and I are going to see an Israeli film, called "Broken Wings", on Monday night. I hope it's good...but then again it's free so what do I care. The other choices were the Oliver Cromwell film and "The Event", which the CBC guy said was quite depressing. So I hope I made a good choice. I am also going to see a Greek film about revolutionary music tomorrow night, called "Hail, Proud and Immortal Labour!". Hee hee, can you tell from what side of the political spectrum it is?

Departure Date!

We have our departure date! We are to leave Canada on the 5th of November, and arrive in Tokyo (NRT) on the 6th. YAY! :D Now we can get our airfare, and the visa stuff is being done as I speak. Things are really starting to move - it's beginning to seem more real and it's getting exciting.

In other news, I think I've found a laptop - Acer 290XCI. I was thinking of Dell but this is cheaper, and Acer has a traveller's warranty and the service that I was looking at Dell for. After a little more research I hope I will have it sometime in the next week or two.

Booker Prize 2003 Shortlist

Guardian Unlimited Books | Special Reports | Booker Prize 2003
Margaret Atwood's "Oryx & Crake" has made the shortlist. I'm pulling for it, it was a great book. Here's the shortlist, shamelessly lifted from the Guardian's website:

Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Ali's first novel put her on the Granta list of best young novelists; it describes London's East End through the eyes of a young Asian woman brought to England for an arranged marriage, and Bangladesh through letters from the sister who stayed behind.
Odds: 14/1
Review
Read an extract

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
In Atwood's grim fable of a dystopia sourced from current news and research, the last man alive looks back on a world destroyed by science, consumerism and inequality.
Odds: 10/1
Review
Quick guide to Margaret Atwood
Read an extract
Official site - click at right under "Books"

The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut
Galgut's soon to be published novel examines post-liberation South Africa through a 'metaphysical thriller' about the arrival of an enthusiastic young doctor at a deserted rural hospital.
Odds: 25/1

Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller
A lonely teacher narrates in obsessive detail her colleague's affair with a pupil in this dark second novel from the author of Everything You Know.
Odds: 14/1
Review
Notes on a Scandal, digested

Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall
Raw, involving novel from a Birmingham-based publisher about a woman spiralling into obsession after losing a child, while discovering shocking truths about her own parentage.
Odds: 33/1

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre
A motormouthed 15-year-old Texan tries to escape his dysfunctional community after he is blamed for a high-school massacre in this fast and furious first novel.
Odds: 25/1
Review
Vernon God Little, digested

Robin Williams

Just finished watching "Robin Williams - Live on Broadway". It was pretty funny. I was very impressed with how he did a 1 hour, 45 minute show and never took a break. He did drink a hell of a lot of water though (well, a lot of it went on the floor). There were some great Dubya jokes, interspersed randomly throughout (which just goes to show you can relate most dumb things to Bush). ;) We got it out on DVD, but the bonus features kinda sucked.

For those who think of Williams in kids shows like Hook or Mrs. Doubtfire - be forwarned (and pleasantly surprised). Definitely adult material here :D.

More Books

I need to add more books to my list: The Secret Life of Bees, and Pattern Recognition (the new William Gibson novel).

Waxarific

Google Search: Nasim's waxing
A while back I made a webpage for my good friend, Nasim (see link at right, under 'Links'). It doesn't come up when you search for it at google, but our webpage does. Go figure.

Back to School

Today I decided to sit in on the Philosophy and Feminism course up at SFU. Apparently some of my former classmates found my appearance shocking.

I'd almost forgotten how much fun it is to be in the philosophical peanut gallery. ("Why are you so wrong? Is it a medical condition, or merely a moral failing?") I'll probably sit in on every class until we take off in November.

I was told I should sit in on the course on 19th century European philosophy as well. I really would love to learn about Hegel and hear Tietz talk about Nietzsche in relation to Richard Rorty. In fact, that sounds just awesome. (I'm a nerd, can you tell?) But, the course is in the morning, and I have trouble showing up for morning courses when I've paid for them.

Books to Read

I just finished Macroscope by Piers Anthony. Ok, to be fair, I've never liked Piers Anthony, but that was just aweful. I stuck it out to the very end but I got so disenchanted that I didn't want to pick up anything new. So I decided to read something I know is good (for the 4th time), Lord of the Rings. I'm almost done that (doesn't take long), well prepared for December's Return of the King, and now I think I'm ready to get back into some serious stuff.

The longlist for The Man Booker Prize 2003
Monica Ali __ Brick Lane
Martin Amis __ Yellow Dog
Margaret Atwood __ Oryx and Crake
Carol Birch __ Turn Again Home
Melvyn Bragg __ Crossing the Lines
J.M. Coetzee __ Elizabeth Costello
Julia Darling __ The Taxi Driver's Daughter
Gerard Donovan __ Schopenhauer's Telescope
Damon Galgut __ The Good Doctor
Barbara Gowdy __ The Romantic
Mark Haddon __ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Zoë Heller __ Notes on a Scandal
Francis King __ The Nick of Time
Shena Mackay __ Heligoland
Clare Morrall __ Astonishing Splashes Of Colour
John Murray __ Jazz etc
Julie Myerson __ Something Might Happen
Tim Parks __ Judge Savage
Caryl Phillips __ A Distant Shore
D.C.B. Pierre __ Vernon God Little
Jonathan Raban __ Waxwings
Graham Swift __ The Light of Day
Barbara Trapido __ Frankie & Stankie

I've already read the Margaret Atwood (posted at right under "books"), and I've heard some good things about some of these, so while I'm still in Canada I think I might try one or more of them. Oryx and Crake is excellent, by the way. Very dark, but also very very funny. It's nice to have the time to do this. :D

edited to add: I've also heard Al Franken's book, Lies and the Lying Liars, is very good - so that could be next...

Dirty Pretty Things

[ go underground ]
I just saw this tonight - it is excellent, I highly recommend it. I am probably going to see it again next week with Toby. (Today I saw it with my mom :)). Anyways, the atmosphere the film creates is quite impressive - they get all the little details and give you a complete package. Of course, Audrey Tautou is quite good, as is the man who plays Okwe, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Two thumbs up from me - go see it at Tinseltown on tuesday, for $6, and have some stuffed naan instead of popcorn ;).

Guardian Unlimited | Quiz

Guardian Unlimited | Quiz
This is a fun quiz, try it if you're bored. Here's what I got:

You are a positive thinker
You believe in the inherent goodness of mankind, that a smile costs nothing, Posh and Becks will never split up, and There Is A Point To It All. You have no idea how insufferable your attitude is to others