I find that, lately, even lying to myself comes easily. (Alfie)

I watched the remake of the movie Alfie a while ago but had a revitalised interest in it lately.

Why? I guess I am obsessed with trashy gossip from weekly magazines and one story in particular resonates with me... Sienna Miller and Jude Law are back together AGAIN. I like Sienna for some unknown reason. I think she is stunning, an okay actress, dresses nicely and she has a bit of spunk. She also seems like the kind that does what she wants to do even when she knows she is going to cop some flak for it. So a run down of the relationship goes Jude left his wife Sadie Frost for Sienna. Then Sienna and Jude get engaged... Jude cheats on Sienna with the nanny. Sienna gets a little angry and leaves him. Sienna then hooks up with some pretty cool guys.  Jude has a child with a woman he knows for like a few hours and tries to pretend the baby isn't his. Paternity test proves otherwise... nice one J. Fast forward few years later Sienna and Jude get back together again.

My comrade has a saying. Apparently it is Marketing 101: Past behaviour is your best indicator of future behaviour. So if you are Sienna you got to be crazy to  not have some questions rushing through your mind. Will he cheat again? Why did he cheat? Does he have a cheating disorder? Can he be trusted? I don't make judgements (okay well sometimes I do!)... but I wonder if Jude Law will be a good boy now that he got his second chance? I wonder if he needs to watch his movie Alfie to relive his character's experiences and lessons learned.

So who and what is this Alfie movie? Wellll Alfie is the type of charismatic sweetalker who is very charming to women and knows what they want/need to hear. He is a womaniser who takes it too far and ends up pretty sad and despicably lonely. A must see for all guys who call themselves "players". The clip shows you a run-down of the movie (although clearly it does not give it justice) and the music is by Darren Hayes aka from Savage Garden. The song is called Strange Relationship and in my opinion his best song ever.

 

* My old boss gave this piece of advice to a friend of hers... "If he cheats with you he will cheat on you!"

I've become a real believer in not defining every single thing. Seems like everytime you think you've figured out what something is, it just becomes something else.

I can still remember the first time I watched this show … a lonnnggg time ago! I was at a hospital waiting for my mum to get out of surgery flicking through the channels on one of those tiny hospital TVs with a limited volume remote control. As soon as it started I was absolutely hooked! I forgot where I was, why I was there and what was going on!

Felicity (a rare breed of cool nerd) had this mad infatuation with Ben (there are no words to describe how ultimate this guy is). At the end of high school he writes the following in her yearbook.

Dear Felicity,

Here it goes. I watched you for four years, always wondered what you were like, and what was going on in your mind all that time when you were so quiet, just thinking. Drawing in your notebook. I should've just asked you, but I never asked you. So now, four years later, I don't even know you. But I admire you. Well, that makes me sound crazy, but I'm okay with that. So take care of yourself.

Love,
Ben.

PS I would've said, "Keep in touch," but unfortunately, we were never in touch.

So what does this clever cookie about to venture into a career in medicine do when there is a chance that her ultimate guy may have some kind of feelings for her? Felicity cancels all rational plans and moves to New York to stalk Ben. That’s when all the other dramas start to happen and all these amazing characters are created including Noel (he becomes Felicity’s first boyfriend ), Julie (I actually didn’t really like her!), Elena, Meghan (Felicity’s crazy roommate), Sean and Javier… It should be noted that I actually know a Felicityesque girl who did the same thing… different city though… IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!

I loved the raw emotion, shame, passion, stalking, humour and awkwardness in this show. I learnt a lot about life from Felicity! One of which is big deal say what you really think to people... it won't matter at all in five years time how bad of a psychotic freak you look like!

So here are some of my fav quotes:

When your heart gets broken, you start to see the cracks in everything. It's my belief that the world is out to harden us, and it is our mission never to let it.

(Sally – one of Felicity’s friends)

Sometimes it's the simplest decisions that can pretty much change your life forever.

(Felicity)

- About that thing... where you said you had feelings for me?
- Oh... don't worry about me, I'm a sensitive guy. I have feelings for lots of girls.  

(Felicity & Noel) 

I kissed you the other night... you know that - you were there.
(Noel) 

Look, I... I understand why you rather see Felicity with someone like Noel. Someone who's obviously going to make it. And probably long before, I mean, I figure out what I'm going to be doing with my life. But I always remember this one thing a teacher said, which was, all the interesting people she knew they had no idea what they were going to do with their lives when they were 20. So chances are, I'm going to turn out to be a pretty interesting guy. Look, for some reason, Felicity cares about me. And on a good day, I feel like I might become everything she sees in me. It is because of that, it is because of about a million other reasons that she means pretty much the world to me

(Ben)

Maybe getting over someone you’re in love with isn’t impossible. Unless, maybe you don’t actually get over it. Maybe you just learn to live with it.
(Felicity)

I've made a lot, alot of mistakes in my life and nobody knows that more than you do, but the biggest mistake I've ever made was letting you go. What I should have done is realize that being with you made me the luckiest guy in the planet..."

(Ben)

And just for the record… I liked Noel the nice guy better, those "ultimate" guys come with too many problems!

Some like Sean Connery but John Marsden does it for me!

John Marsden

Standing in the queue of the cinema I had a little battle of my own last night. Our options: The Other Guys versus Tomorrow, When the War Began. I was leading the charge for the latter and this was based primarily on my infatuation with Mr John Marsden. Challenges were met with astonished questions.

“Do you not know who John Marsden is? Have you not read any of his books? Didn’t you read his books in high school? Did you not see him on Australian Story? Did you know he has his own school? Don’t you want to support Australian cinema? Did you know that John (first name basis by now) once sent me a personal reply to an email I sent him? Did you know he is a really nice guy?”

Then I got nasty on Will Ferrell…

“Have you not seen Talladega Nights? Yeah okay Stepbrothers was funny but you can’t guarantee this will be funny…he is an idiot most of the time.”

Then I ripped out the ultimate ballbreaker line (I promise I don’t do this that often and I was clutching at straws!).

 “You watch your movie and I’ll watch mine and we can meet at the end.”

If you are a solo cinema watching virgin you probably THINK that you’d be less shamed attending a nudist colony on your own! So I won that war justtttt but I promised to be less of a stubborn mule next Tight Tuesday!

Anyways Tomorrow, When the War Began was good. I liked it. I probably could have lived to see it on the small screen but some of the effects were pretty blockbuster and I liked the characters/actors. The only thing I didn’t like is it doesn’t end – surprise surprise just like the series of books (there are seven) it is to be continued. I think someone may be cashing in on the saga series style of movies?

There is a cheeky line in the movie where the main character Ellie says, “The books are always better then the movies.” So right hey.

I love to read and I adore libraries like some people adore the pub/casino/strippers. I overdose on books and just don’t know how to rationalise the experience of borrowing from the libs (I still can’t even believe I can take these gems home after all the fines I have accrued – it must be noted that I borrow on my Dad’s card now as a result!). Last night got me thinking about the books of my preteen era… and how they shaped me as a person.  There are three distinct books that have changed my life.

1. The Babysitters Club Series

I took this collection very very seriously. I purchased all and I mean all of them up to number #56 Keep Out Claudia including the Super Specials and Friends Forever. Like I did with my magazines – I categorised these little puppies and reread them over and over again. I never wanted to be a babysitter but I devoured these books simultaneous with a can of Pringles Sour Cream & Chives on a daily basis.

I stumbled upon a blog What Claudia Wore recently. It is absolutely hysterical. A blogger is sifting her way through the series and a hilarious analysis is given on each book. A must read for any true BC lover!

2. Everything Judy Blume

I love love her! She is a riveting author who writes about growing up, life changing relationships you have as a thirteen year old, first kisses, parents splitting up, feeling alone…oh she is amazing! A lady that remembers what it’s like to be a teen!

I was so Blubber (a fat kid!). I was so Margaret chatting away to God (lonely and friendless on school holidays). It was so the end of the world (still am pretty overdramatic). Recently I was at one of these crazy warehouse book expos and in the mirage of shirty paperbacks I stumbled across Summer Sisters. Summer Sisters is a book written by Blume for the adult market… it didn’t let me down. I cocooned myself for the following 24 hours and devoured it (this time with Sakata biscuits).

My favourite book of hers is Forever. I still remember making the purchase at a school book fair as a twelve year old. Clearly someone ordering the books for these kiddies was just not doing their job right. I didn’t purchase it knowing it was an education into the human body. Got on the bus with my fellow grade 6ers and eagerly started reading… Oh myyyyy God! That little paperback gave me more insight then my sister’s Cosmopolitans ever did. Since then I have probably read it ohhh at least fifteen times but I now scan away to the good parts! Go Judy!!!

3. Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

In the Attic

For someone who claims not to really like series – I loved this book and everything by V.C. Andrews (may she RIP and may her pseudonym stop and give it up as she will never be as good as the original). There is just wayyyyy too much in these books to justify a synopsis. Let’s just say that it puts Bold and the Beautiful to shame! It has even been banned in some countries!

I was so cringeworthingly in love with this book that when the movie was on TV (usually really late at night) I would actually tape it on video… and then regularly watch it! What demented ten year old does this?

A kiddie I know has started reading this book and I want to snatch it off her and say this is not for you… but then I realise that is massively the pot calling the kettle black! The local librarian did not say that to me when I reserved Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows (the rest of the series) in the one hit as a ten turning eleven year old girl! So who am I to make judgements?

Currently Reading

Why Is God Laughing?: The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism by Deepak Chopra and If You Could See What I See by Sylvia Browne (*I think someone has been watching way too much Montel Williams)