Shrek 2 (Adamson, Asbury, Vernon, 2004)

Superb sequel. Not quite as magical as the original but great entertainment. There's less character development and dialogue and more action. The pace is fast and doesn't give you enough time to soak in all the in jokes and fantastic imagery. Will definitely have to watch the DVD as well. I've noticed that Shrek 3 and Shrek 4 are also planned.

Gangs Of New York (Martin Scorsese, 2002)

I've been trying to figure out what's wrong with this movie. I mean, it's ok as movies go and the historical context behind it is very interesting but the movie is just done wrong. It's too theatrical. Too Hollywood. Too stylised. The acting is a bit pushed. It feels like a made-for-TV movie. The production values just weren't right for the story. It needed to be darker, grittier and more real. Blah.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Peter Weir, 2003)

Enjoyabled movie but it's missing something. The cinematography was excellent. The acting was fine. I just didn't find the story that engaging. Only good for those that like a swashbuckling sea-going yarn.

Guilfest 2004

We went to the Guilford Music Festival last Saturday. Kids got to see Rolf Harris (aka Mr Animal Hospital) and hang around the Kids Area which was littered with circus things to play with. It's a pretty big festival and somewhat overwhelming for the kids. R* was keen to shop for trinklets at all the stalls.

Around 7pm we settled ourselves in front of the main stage. Generally concerts don't work well for Jenny and the kids as they're too short but we found a good spot where the kids could climb on a fence. We saw Rickie Lee Jones who did an excellent cover of a slow tempo Show Biz Kids (Steely Dan is one of my favourite bands ever). I really like her when she sings jazz (eg Pop Pop, 1991) but not usually keen on her rock/pop stuff. After her came Katie Melua who I had never heard of but she has a great voice and talented backup band. Definitely have to pick up her debut CD "Call Off The Search".

Finally, Simple Minds came on stage and we watched for a while but it was getting late. We stayed to hear one of their big hits (Don't You Forget About Me) and then left. Nice 80's flashback.

Jerry Springer - The Opera

My cousin was in town visiting so besides strolling around Blenheim Palace and Camden Market, we also went to see Jerry Springer - The Opera at the Cambridge Theatre in London.

It was excellent but certainly not everyone's cup of tea. First, it is really opera. There is a large talented cast and the singing could be thunderous sometimes. Much of the singing is prolonged profanity and extremely rude (listen to it on the website). It's great that I can claim this as my first real opera experience. Second, it really is in the format of a trashy Jerry Springer show. David Soul makes a perfect Jerry Springer.  And third, if you're at all serious about Christianity, you're going to find it very offensive when they take the micky out of Judo-Christian mythology. I won't give any more of the show away.

It's a strange combination but it works very well. Comtemporary opera rocks. Despite the religious content, this is no moralistic play with insights into human nature ("No right. No wrong. Just lots of energy"). It's got the obligatory Springerisms ("Take care of each other"). It's clever but trashy entertainment and you're bound to hear more about this show when it makes it to Broadway next year. Highly recommended.

Motorcycle Training

I've passed my Compulsory Basic Training and my Theory Test. Just got my Practical Test to do!

I've always wanted to ride a motorcycle ever since first riding as a teenager. While 18 and backpacking in Nepal, my friends and I managed to rent motorcycles in Katmandu and ride around the countryside. That was the first time I'd ever ridden and it was great fun. Now I'm finally getting around to getting a license.

Last Monday I did the Compulsory Basic Training. It's a full day being taught the basics of motorcycle handling. There were four of us on the day and the instructor started by showing us a video of a motorcyclist hitting a car and being taken to hospital. Gulp. All through the day, a very healthy amount of paranoia was instilled upon us. Certainly enough to make me reconsider being there! On to the practical side of things, we went through some simple motorcycle handling on a private track in the morning and then in the afternoon we were wired up with radio's and taken on a ride around the local streets.

You feel very vunerable on a motorcycle and it's pretty exhausting because you are trying to be so hyperaware of everything around you. I was amazed at how many metal drain covers there are on the road. Never noticed them before but they're hazardous to motorcycles when wet.

Today, I passed my Theory Test. There's two parts to the test: 35 multiple choice questions and 14 hazard perception videos. The multiple choice questions were easy and I aced them but I'm embarrased to admit I squeaked by the hazard perception part scoring only 47 out of 74. With these video's shown on a computer you're supposed to click when you see a "developing hazard" and based on when you click you're awarded between 0 and 5 points. I think the problem is I sometimes clicked too early when I knew something was about to happen and then clicked again very late. Still, I think it's a very good idea that they've added this part to the theory test.

So now I have several lessons to go and then on to the Practical Test.

Little House On The Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1953)

Finally finished reading this book by Laura Ingalls Wilder aloud to the kids. In terms of a children's story, I found it to be a bit of a slog. Not very entertaining compared to something from Roald Dahl but that's just me.

However, it's a great snippet of history and provides a charming account of frontier life. The narrative is simple and clear. Most important, it held the children's attention and gave them a glimpse at how different life was back then. That itself opens up all kind of conversations. We had a good talk about the conquest of America and treatment of native people.

Very good websites dedicated to this story can be found here and here.

Lost In Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)

This isn't a film for everyone. It's a slow film about two strangers gradually falling in love but never consumating a relationship. Both are vistors to Tokyo alienated by a strange culture. Although it's a Hollywood film, it's got all the feel and production values of a small independent film. Realism reins. Life moves slowly.

Yes, it's pretty much a showcase for Bill Murray. The acting and script is good. The film has a certain charm to it but don't expect great entertainment.

Big Fish (Tim Burton, 2003)

My expectations were pretty low of this film as it seemed to have passed quietly through the cinemas. However, I love Tim Burton films and had to see what he had done with this one. His films are always rich saturated productions that are quirky and surreal but tell a good story.

I wasn't disappointed after all. It was thoroughly Burtonesque and I'd recommend watching it. Check IMDB for the plot.

BBC: UN rules against Israeli barrier

Excellent. The International Court of Justice has ruled that the Israel wall is illegal. The wall is an abomination. However, it's non-binding and even if the UN has a debate, you can be sure the US will veto any resolutions. There's something wrong with the system. At least it makes it clear who's suppressing who.

Fahrenheit 9/11

Tonight I went and saw Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. If there's one movie to watch this year, this has gotta be the one.

I don't think you can watch the film without various emotions swelling in you. I felt amazed, horrified, angry, sad and ashamed. He paints a devasting portrayal of Bush, the American system and the tragedy of the Iraq war. But I was ready to agree with him before the film started.

Thinking about how the film was constructed, I do feel he dwells too much on emotive footage rather than constructing and backing up his arguement.  Maybe too many facts would clutter the basic message and detract from evoking emotions from the audience. It's certainly effective as a technique to raise questions and doubts in the mind of the viewer of the status quo.

Is the film manipulative? I don't think it's any more manipulative than regular TV. Media is manipulative. Every media effects the message that it conveys and one needs to read the media as well as the message. Moore does exploit the emotive power of film to make his point.

For another point of view, you can read the right wing anti-Moore site MooreWatch. Here's also a touching interview with Lila Lipscomb.

I'm particularly grateful that Michael Moore's films have proven that there is a commercially viable market for documentaries. Most TV documentaries are so bland and stick to safe boring topics. I would gladly pay the cost of a cinema ticket to see a truly revealing documentary. Let's hope for more.

Fishing With Maggots

On a whim, I went with R* today to a fishing tackle shop and asked how I could take my daughter fishing. For £12, the shop set me up with everything I needed including a small tub filled to the brim with wriggling maggots. Absolutely revoluting. We took them home and freaked out Jenny. R* had no problems putting her hands into the boiling seething mass of them. I guess revulsion is a something that's learned.

Then I took K* and R* to a nearby river where we could fish for free. In the UK, children under twelve don't need a fishing license. They could fish but I couldn't. I left it to R* to pierce the maggots onto the hook. I really didn't want to touch them! She was completely unphased and became quite adept at hooking them. The idea is to sprinkle a few maggots into the river to attract the fish and then drop your hooked maggot in the same spot.

It worked a treat. Fishing off a bridge, we caught twelve fish in about an hour and a half. They ranged in size from about four to six inches. After catching each fish, we just unhooked it and threw it back.

So the whim turned out well. Excellent activity to do with the kids as long as you don't mind maggots.

When we had finished, I got R* to empty the maggots into the river and later stick the tub in the fridge for Jenny to find...

Ten Years In The UK

Exactly ten years ago today, we stepped off a plane only planning to stay in the UK for two years. We often evaluate whether we're living in the right place and, funny enough, it still seems right to stay.

There's many reasons why we stay. Each one isn't enough in it's own right but they add up to a lot of inertia that keeps us here. I'm not going to try and explain them all. When asked, the easiest explanation is that we just love the variety of things there are to do in the UK. It's a very small country crammed with 60 million people. There's just lots of stuff that goes on and there's lots of opportunities to try things.

I also think it's a great place to educate children and it's a big bonus that it's a short flight to anywhere in Europe. R* is studying Egypt in the Autumn term so we've booked a trip to visit Egypt during the half term holidays. It's easy to do that living in the UK.

Our intention is still to return to Canada at some point. But as ever, we're just not sure when. 

Happy Canada Day

Didn't do anything to celebrate besides wear a Canada T-shirt and eat fried beaver tails-on-a-stick. Will someone explain to me why there is now a National Flag of Canada Day on Feb 15th? Kind of strange to celebrate a flag if you ask me. Do you get the day off in Canada?

The site does give a nice description of flag etiquette that includes items such as "don't use it as a seat cover".

Meanwhile, it's interesting to ponder why the United Kingdom doesn't have a national holiday celebrating the nation. St George's Day is only an English holiday so that's no good. Most other countries I can think of celebrate their nationhood in someway. Many of course celebrate the day they became independent of the UK. It would be a bit of stretch to celebrate the liberation of England from the Roman Empire. Again, that would only be an English celebration.

A natural choice for a holiday is to celebrate the day a country was founded. The union of the kingdom became effective 1 January 1801 but it wouldn't really work to celebrate it on New Years Day. Anyway, it's a moot point since it really isn't in the British character to wave flags and celebrate being British. Pity.