"But Gar Pardy, a retired diplomat responsible for consular issues at the foreign affairs department, said there's only so much Ottawa can do, given that Iran has dug in its heels.
'The Iranians have decided that they're not going to deliver any measure of justice,' he said. 'The options are not great.'
And he cautioned that steps like pulling the ambassador from Tehran — while having value as a public relations gesture — could make life "miserable" for Iranian Canadians and their families back in Iran.
And he said economic sanctions aren't likely to have much of an impact, given that Canada does just $264 million in annual trade with Iran.
'Trade sanctions work if you can get a broad international consensus going,' Pardy said.
Barring any changes within the Iranian regime, the kind of pressure that Canada can impose on Iran 'I don't think would register on any scale.' "
-BRUCE CAMPION-SMITH, The Toronto Star: 66 asylum seekers sent back to Iran, Apr. 2, 2005. 07:53 PM
When I first read about Dr. Shahram Azam's testimony, I was so disgusted I felt physically sick. Then I thought about the courage that Stephan Kazemi is showing to the public, and I felt very sad for him. Then I thought about what the Canadian government has done - or not done, and I felt angry. I was angry becuase I appeared that the Cdn. gov't isn't doing anything.
Then I thought some more, and I realized that the Cdn. government has done something, such as helping to approve of Dr. Azam's stay in Canada, and it probably wants to do more, but its hands are tied. I thought, what can the gov't do?
What Mr. Gar Pardy says in the quoted article above rings very true in my ears now. And that is what the Cdn. government should do. It should recruit the help of other nations like Britain, France, Germany, Italy and others who have journalists who endured this type of ordeal.
I can't believe that the Iranian gov't can do this sort of thing and completely get away with it. This is simply unjust and it infuriates me.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Researching Background to "Satan's Kingdom"
According to a ghost story written by Isabella Taves, which is based on the real life ordeals of her neighbor, there was a house in Satan's Kingdom, near Hartford, Connecticut, that used to be haunted. The house has since been torn down and a condominum was built over it.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
U.S. Missile Defense vs. Canadian Views of Security
I have two views on this, and they may seem slightly conflicting.
1. The U.S. has to realize that their sense of security is not the same as everyone else's and the U.S. must learn to accept this. Closing the border to Cdn. beef, cancelling Rice's visit, and not returning PM Martin's phone calls is nothing but childish. These are supposed to be adults, and yet their actions show a lack of ability to think and behave reasonably.
2. PM Martin must not let a sensitive issue like Missile Defense flip-flop like that again. He should have brought this issue out and let his cabinet and the opposition debate it thoroughly. After that, he should have settled with a decision and informed the U.S. gov't on it. Why did he let the media publish one opinion after another, all of which are found to be conflicting at this moment?
3. I am not surprised if the U.S. believed that Canada was going to support Missile Defense, becuase I am familiar with the Canadian Philosophy of Compromise. The Liberal politicians have a particularly stellar way of practicing this policy, and by stellar I mean stellarly indecisive. PM Martin has shown that he is one who reacts to what happens, not one who dictates what happens, and as PM, he should be doing the latter.
1. The U.S. has to realize that their sense of security is not the same as everyone else's and the U.S. must learn to accept this. Closing the border to Cdn. beef, cancelling Rice's visit, and not returning PM Martin's phone calls is nothing but childish. These are supposed to be adults, and yet their actions show a lack of ability to think and behave reasonably.
2. PM Martin must not let a sensitive issue like Missile Defense flip-flop like that again. He should have brought this issue out and let his cabinet and the opposition debate it thoroughly. After that, he should have settled with a decision and informed the U.S. gov't on it. Why did he let the media publish one opinion after another, all of which are found to be conflicting at this moment?
3. I am not surprised if the U.S. believed that Canada was going to support Missile Defense, becuase I am familiar with the Canadian Philosophy of Compromise. The Liberal politicians have a particularly stellar way of practicing this policy, and by stellar I mean stellarly indecisive. PM Martin has shown that he is one who reacts to what happens, not one who dictates what happens, and as PM, he should be doing the latter.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Slang Dictionary
What a cool dictionary! It's funny how a lot of the content are slang for drugs and sex. ROTFL!!!
Monday, February 14, 2005
Dinner with the Laws
Last night, my family had dinner with the Laws. It was a Valentine's Day/New Year's dinner with both families together.
Mr. and Mrs. Law hired a chef to come to their house and cook us an authentic French dinner. Ray, the chef, graduated from a prestigious culinary academy located in Ottawa, which has its headquarters based in Paris.
The starting plate was the most delicious of the evening: roasted fresh fig with ...can't remember what it's called, but it's the liver of a goose, I think. It was very yummy. Next was the cream of asparagus soup, which was so tastey! Following that was the seared scallops and cabbage bundle. We took a "break" with a cup of frozen granny smith apples, mixed with white wine. It was lovely. It would make a nice dessert, I think. After that, we finally had our main course of the evening, which was a veal wrap with red pepper and mushrooms at the centre. It looked really nice. The mushrooms and truffle pieces were so fragrant - I LOVE MUSHROOMS AND TRUFFLES. Lastly was the dessert: an orange flavoured controse with fresh fruits. This was very very yummy. I don't like liquor very much, but the orange juice and fresh fruits complimented it very nicely.
This was the most formal French dinner I've ever had. I loved how Ray came to our table and described every dish that he prepared for us. This was truly an experience that I don't think will be repeated for a long time.
Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Law!
Mr. and Mrs. Law hired a chef to come to their house and cook us an authentic French dinner. Ray, the chef, graduated from a prestigious culinary academy located in Ottawa, which has its headquarters based in Paris.
The starting plate was the most delicious of the evening: roasted fresh fig with ...can't remember what it's called, but it's the liver of a goose, I think. It was very yummy. Next was the cream of asparagus soup, which was so tastey! Following that was the seared scallops and cabbage bundle. We took a "break" with a cup of frozen granny smith apples, mixed with white wine. It was lovely. It would make a nice dessert, I think. After that, we finally had our main course of the evening, which was a veal wrap with red pepper and mushrooms at the centre. It looked really nice. The mushrooms and truffle pieces were so fragrant - I LOVE MUSHROOMS AND TRUFFLES. Lastly was the dessert: an orange flavoured controse with fresh fruits. This was very very yummy. I don't like liquor very much, but the orange juice and fresh fruits complimented it very nicely.
This was the most formal French dinner I've ever had. I loved how Ray came to our table and described every dish that he prepared for us. This was truly an experience that I don't think will be repeated for a long time.
Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Law!
Wedding Helpers' Party
On Saturday night, I attended Zemuppet and ChiquitaWonder's Wedding Helpers' Party. It was held at Chiquita's parents' house, and the guests were all of the closest friends of the couple.
The party began with a dinner of home made roast beef, sushi, and a selection of 3 salads, including Chiquita's famous spinach and tangerine salad. After that, we were sorted into groups to play games. I was in team #6 and our first game was Taboo. I think my team won by a few points only, I'm not sure (we weren't seriously counting points). The next activity station was the DDR, a dancing game on a mat. I was the first to try it with a member of the opposing team, and I, in my ignorance, selected a song that had the speed of 168 beats per minute. That means it's a VERY FAST paced tune to dance to. I lost the first round, but luckily, my teamates Corinna, Jeff and Yilee. They made up for my low score and we ended up winning that round.
The last activity station was table tennis, a sport I like very much. I have always been better at racquet sports, but table tennis took a bit adjusting to last night. We had a player on the opposing team who gave us a very good challenge. It was so much fun!
I left with W. later to go meet up with a friend of hers in Mississuaga. That was the end of the night.
The highlight for me was bumping into Yilee and Corinna, school mates from elementary and junior high school, respectively. We chatted for a long time and it was a very nice stroll down memory lane. I'll have to tell my friends about it later.
The party began with a dinner of home made roast beef, sushi, and a selection of 3 salads, including Chiquita's famous spinach and tangerine salad. After that, we were sorted into groups to play games. I was in team #6 and our first game was Taboo. I think my team won by a few points only, I'm not sure (we weren't seriously counting points). The next activity station was the DDR, a dancing game on a mat. I was the first to try it with a member of the opposing team, and I, in my ignorance, selected a song that had the speed of 168 beats per minute. That means it's a VERY FAST paced tune to dance to. I lost the first round, but luckily, my teamates Corinna, Jeff and Yilee. They made up for my low score and we ended up winning that round.
The last activity station was table tennis, a sport I like very much. I have always been better at racquet sports, but table tennis took a bit adjusting to last night. We had a player on the opposing team who gave us a very good challenge. It was so much fun!
I left with W. later to go meet up with a friend of hers in Mississuaga. That was the end of the night.
The highlight for me was bumping into Yilee and Corinna, school mates from elementary and junior high school, respectively. We chatted for a long time and it was a very nice stroll down memory lane. I'll have to tell my friends about it later.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Toronto--Florida Child Porn Case
I believe in balances, and unfortunately, where you find the most purest form of love between a parent and a child, you will also find the most cruel and sickening form of violation: child porn.
I can imagine the hate that person A could feel for person B, leading to a murderous act. What I cannot imagine is how someone can take an innocent child and "brutalize" him or her by molesting the child. How sick and twisted does your mind have to be to carry out such a heinous act?
I hope the Toronto Sex Crimes unit will be able to crack this case and put an end to this girl's suffering soon. I hope it doesn't have to go to the point where the police have to release her photos to the public in an effort to locate her and save her.
I can imagine the hate that person A could feel for person B, leading to a murderous act. What I cannot imagine is how someone can take an innocent child and "brutalize" him or her by molesting the child. How sick and twisted does your mind have to be to carry out such a heinous act?
I hope the Toronto Sex Crimes unit will be able to crack this case and put an end to this girl's suffering soon. I hope it doesn't have to go to the point where the police have to release her photos to the public in an effort to locate her and save her.
The Superbowl
Okay, I watched the superbowl with my cousin W. tonight. It was very exciting in the remaining 2 mins.
I don't usually watch football, but once I understood what the objective was and how to achieve it, I began to get into the game. Of course, I rooted for the underdogs: the Philadelphia Eagles. When they completed the last touchdown, that was incredibly neat. It happened so fast, I couldn't even cheer for it in time.
At the end, I was sad that the Eagles lost, but I was very happy for them because they put up a good fight. They played their hearts out until the very end. Their QB (forgot his name) may have made too many mistakes in those last two minutes, but W. tells me that this is his first time playing at the Superbowl. I hope he doens't feel too bad about the loss because his team did fight until the very end.
I remarked to W. how these football players seem to have a lot of respect for one another, since opponent players were constantly giving each other a pat on the back. There seems to be a comaraderie between these football players that's really nice to see.
In Hockey, it's the opposite. Some hockey players really hate one another during a game. You don't see this type of comaraderie in hockey games. After A1 bodychecks B4, you won't see A1 going over to B4 afterwards to give him a tip with the gloves. Then again, the nature of the two games are so different. After tackling an opponent player, the ref would blow the whistle and you have to stop playing in a football game. In hockey, you keep skating away after you've thrown a check. You don't stick around to make sure that the opponent player is all right.
Still, sometimes, the explosive behaviour in hockey is very disheartening to see. Some defend it as saying it's in the heat of the moment. "In the heat of the moment" does not make a violent act any more justified.
I commend the football players for their repeated displays of sportmanship, even during such an intense game like the Superbowl.
I don't usually watch football, but once I understood what the objective was and how to achieve it, I began to get into the game. Of course, I rooted for the underdogs: the Philadelphia Eagles. When they completed the last touchdown, that was incredibly neat. It happened so fast, I couldn't even cheer for it in time.
At the end, I was sad that the Eagles lost, but I was very happy for them because they put up a good fight. They played their hearts out until the very end. Their QB (forgot his name) may have made too many mistakes in those last two minutes, but W. tells me that this is his first time playing at the Superbowl. I hope he doens't feel too bad about the loss because his team did fight until the very end.
I remarked to W. how these football players seem to have a lot of respect for one another, since opponent players were constantly giving each other a pat on the back. There seems to be a comaraderie between these football players that's really nice to see.
In Hockey, it's the opposite. Some hockey players really hate one another during a game. You don't see this type of comaraderie in hockey games. After A1 bodychecks B4, you won't see A1 going over to B4 afterwards to give him a tip with the gloves. Then again, the nature of the two games are so different. After tackling an opponent player, the ref would blow the whistle and you have to stop playing in a football game. In hockey, you keep skating away after you've thrown a check. You don't stick around to make sure that the opponent player is all right.
Still, sometimes, the explosive behaviour in hockey is very disheartening to see. Some defend it as saying it's in the heat of the moment. "In the heat of the moment" does not make a violent act any more justified.
I commend the football players for their repeated displays of sportmanship, even during such an intense game like the Superbowl.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Winterlicious 2005 @ Roswater Supper Club
The Rosewater Supper Club
19 Toronto StToronto, ON M5C2R1
Phone:
(416) 214-5888
Fax:
(416) 214-2412
Last night, I had dinner with some of my best friends at the Rosewater Supper Club, one of the participating restaurants of the annual Winterlicious event. While riding over there in the car, D. remarked that he didn't dress up for this event, that he only wore jeans. Oops!
When we got inside, an attendant took our coats (at no extra charge). I felt a bit akward taking off my coat right in front of the entrance to the restaurant, especially since there were two more parties that had arrived behind us.
After the matter of the coats was settled, we were led through the lounge and into the main dining hall. Our table was in the corner, with a dramatic black "bay-window" seat. Shortly after we had ordered our drinks, the manager of the restaurnant came and introduced himself. Unfortunately, I have a very bad memory and I forgot his name right after he said it.
As we were waiting for our drinks to arrive, I observed the decor of the dining hall. I don't know for sure period style in which was the building designed, but it does look stunning. The lighting was not too dark, and I could see the mouldings that framed the windows and that decorated the edges of the ceiling. It was bright enough that I could see some of the paintings on the walls, which gave me a very homey, yet elegant feeling. It did not feel like I was eating in a restuarant. Our secluded "bay-window" seat gave me a sense of privacy, even though the surrounding tables were all filled with guests.
Our drinks finally arrived, and after we ordered dinner, we sat there nibbling on the bread. I was very happy to see a slice of dark rye bread (one of my favourites), but when I bit into it, I realized that it was chocolate bread (huh?). Knight, who is a chocoholic, loved it. Princess complained that the bread was too hard. I thought the crust was a bit tough, but whole grain breads of this kind are like that. They were very soft at the centre and I quite liked it.
For appetizers, I had the parsnip soup and Princess had the salad. The soup was quite flavourful, but nothing that made it memorable. I didn't get to taste the salad, but Princess, who loves vegetables, actually couldn't finish hers.
For the entree, I had the lamb shank in bow-tie pasta with mushrooms and cheese. Princess had the steak with mashed yams; D. and Knight had the seared salmon with bok-choy. Presentation-wise, the dishes were not memorable in any way. Taste-wise, Princess' steak was the best. She called it "perfect!" She also announced to us that she loved the texture and flavour of the yams. D. and Knight both felt their fish was negligible. Upon trying a bite, Princess actually complained that the salmon tasted fishy, like it was not very fresh. BOO!! My pasta with lamb shanks was too salty, and the cheese was laid on a bit too heavily. I was not able to taste any of the lamb flavours, and the mushrooms were very disappointing. The only part of the dish I did like was the wilted spinach, and I wish they had given me more of it.
Before dessert was served, Princess and I made a trip to the ladies' room. On the way there, we saw the staircase section of the restaurant, which was made of glass, and on one side was a waterfall over a brick-stone wall. It was quite stunning and it felt heavenly to walk down those steps. Imagine what it would feel like to walk UP those steps to the 2nd floor!
The dessert consisted of a lemon tart for me, and apple creme caramel for D. His was essentially an egg custard, which was so smooth and so soft; it was positively exquisite. The highlight of my lemon tart was the orange tomato (?) that garnished the dessert. The tart itself was nice, but the blueberry sauce was a bit too sour.
At this point, I must emphasize that this is the Winterlicious event menu, not their regular menu that contains all of their best items. Having said that, I would have expected the food to be more impressive. The point of having Winterlicious is for these restaurants to showcase their goods and attract more clients. If the decor and the ambience are the only truly exemplary assets of The Rosewater Supper Club, then I can't say that I have any reason to go back there in the future.
That concluded our dinner. As we approached the coat check area, we saw that the restuarant was really starting to fill up now. The were guests waiting in the lounge, and people were arriving at the front desk. While we waited to retreive our coats, the manager led some guests past us to their table. A couple of ladies had to walk past us to get to the stairs that led to the ladies' room. While we were putting on our coats, the new arrivals were being led past us again to their table. Behind them was a throng of several more guests, waiting by the entrance. This is an aspect of this restaurant that I do feel is a bit inadequate. Perhaps they are not accustomed to receiving this many number of guests in an evening, but the dining room size would contradict that hypothesis. Why is it that they would place the coat check right at the front entrance, and not off to the side? There was so much traffic going back and forth, it was quite an uncomfortable scene to endure.
All in all, the service was very good (excepting the arrival reception). The food was negligible and the highlight was definitely the decor.
If I were to return to this restaurant in the future, it will certainly not be for the food.
I give it 3/3 for ambience; 2/3 for service, and 1/3 for the food.
19 Toronto StToronto, ON M5C2R1
Phone:
(416) 214-5888
Fax:
(416) 214-2412
Last night, I had dinner with some of my best friends at the Rosewater Supper Club, one of the participating restaurants of the annual Winterlicious event. While riding over there in the car, D. remarked that he didn't dress up for this event, that he only wore jeans. Oops!
When we got inside, an attendant took our coats (at no extra charge). I felt a bit akward taking off my coat right in front of the entrance to the restaurant, especially since there were two more parties that had arrived behind us.
After the matter of the coats was settled, we were led through the lounge and into the main dining hall. Our table was in the corner, with a dramatic black "bay-window" seat. Shortly after we had ordered our drinks, the manager of the restaurnant came and introduced himself. Unfortunately, I have a very bad memory and I forgot his name right after he said it.
As we were waiting for our drinks to arrive, I observed the decor of the dining hall. I don't know for sure period style in which was the building designed, but it does look stunning. The lighting was not too dark, and I could see the mouldings that framed the windows and that decorated the edges of the ceiling. It was bright enough that I could see some of the paintings on the walls, which gave me a very homey, yet elegant feeling. It did not feel like I was eating in a restuarant. Our secluded "bay-window" seat gave me a sense of privacy, even though the surrounding tables were all filled with guests.
Our drinks finally arrived, and after we ordered dinner, we sat there nibbling on the bread. I was very happy to see a slice of dark rye bread (one of my favourites), but when I bit into it, I realized that it was chocolate bread (huh?). Knight, who is a chocoholic, loved it. Princess complained that the bread was too hard. I thought the crust was a bit tough, but whole grain breads of this kind are like that. They were very soft at the centre and I quite liked it.
For appetizers, I had the parsnip soup and Princess had the salad. The soup was quite flavourful, but nothing that made it memorable. I didn't get to taste the salad, but Princess, who loves vegetables, actually couldn't finish hers.
For the entree, I had the lamb shank in bow-tie pasta with mushrooms and cheese. Princess had the steak with mashed yams; D. and Knight had the seared salmon with bok-choy. Presentation-wise, the dishes were not memorable in any way. Taste-wise, Princess' steak was the best. She called it "perfect!" She also announced to us that she loved the texture and flavour of the yams. D. and Knight both felt their fish was negligible. Upon trying a bite, Princess actually complained that the salmon tasted fishy, like it was not very fresh. BOO!! My pasta with lamb shanks was too salty, and the cheese was laid on a bit too heavily. I was not able to taste any of the lamb flavours, and the mushrooms were very disappointing. The only part of the dish I did like was the wilted spinach, and I wish they had given me more of it.
Before dessert was served, Princess and I made a trip to the ladies' room. On the way there, we saw the staircase section of the restaurant, which was made of glass, and on one side was a waterfall over a brick-stone wall. It was quite stunning and it felt heavenly to walk down those steps. Imagine what it would feel like to walk UP those steps to the 2nd floor!
The dessert consisted of a lemon tart for me, and apple creme caramel for D. His was essentially an egg custard, which was so smooth and so soft; it was positively exquisite. The highlight of my lemon tart was the orange tomato (?) that garnished the dessert. The tart itself was nice, but the blueberry sauce was a bit too sour.
At this point, I must emphasize that this is the Winterlicious event menu, not their regular menu that contains all of their best items. Having said that, I would have expected the food to be more impressive. The point of having Winterlicious is for these restaurants to showcase their goods and attract more clients. If the decor and the ambience are the only truly exemplary assets of The Rosewater Supper Club, then I can't say that I have any reason to go back there in the future.
That concluded our dinner. As we approached the coat check area, we saw that the restuarant was really starting to fill up now. The were guests waiting in the lounge, and people were arriving at the front desk. While we waited to retreive our coats, the manager led some guests past us to their table. A couple of ladies had to walk past us to get to the stairs that led to the ladies' room. While we were putting on our coats, the new arrivals were being led past us again to their table. Behind them was a throng of several more guests, waiting by the entrance. This is an aspect of this restaurant that I do feel is a bit inadequate. Perhaps they are not accustomed to receiving this many number of guests in an evening, but the dining room size would contradict that hypothesis. Why is it that they would place the coat check right at the front entrance, and not off to the side? There was so much traffic going back and forth, it was quite an uncomfortable scene to endure.
All in all, the service was very good (excepting the arrival reception). The food was negligible and the highlight was definitely the decor.
If I were to return to this restaurant in the future, it will certainly not be for the food.
I give it 3/3 for ambience; 2/3 for service, and 1/3 for the food.
Friday, January 28, 2005
MOVIE REVIEW: Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek, Dir. John Polson
Stars Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Jensen
What an eventful day it was at the theatre! I went to the Rainbow Cinema to see Assault on Precinct 13 with my friend. She had checked the showtimes on the theatre company's website last night, and this movie was listed for today. When we got there, we realized that it was not going to be shown afterall. Disappointed, we bought tickets to see Hide and Seek. I was thoroughly surprised with the result.
Hide is about a psychologist named David Carraway (De Niro). His wife commits suicide, and in an effort to help his daughter cope with this trauma, he decides to move him and his daughter into a small town in upstate NY, away from the sad memories of the city life. Jensen plays the child psychologist, who tries to help little Emily (Fanning) through this tough period in her life. Emily's father wants to help her as well, since he is a psychologist, but Jensen and Emily have a very special friendship that is irreplaceable, just like Emily's relationship with her mother. As much as David loves his daughter and wants to help her, he can't, and she won't let him either.
Before selecting Assault, I had read some reviews about Hide at RottenTomatoes.com. Most of them were very disproving of the film, saying that it developed too slowly, that the story followed too many horror cliches, that the ending was a cop-out and the twist was blah blah blah blah blah. After seeing this movie, I have to wonder, did those critics go into theatre expecting it to be a failure? Did these critics already have all these colourful reasons why this movie should be so poorly crafted before the opening credits even came up? I'm puzzled, because I thoroughly enjoyed this film, as did my friend, and the rest of the theatre audience.
Like The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense, the story does start off quite slow -- as far as the action is concerned. What was put in place of the action was a lot of imagery, dialogue and character acting, all working together to create a mood. The atmosphere of the setting for a horror story is primary to its effectiveness. If you can create a creepy atmosphere that makes your viewer expect something dreadful to pop out at you (and they do several times throughout), then you would have succeeded, and the rest of the film just has to keep up the pace of revealing the creepy elements bit by bit. Polson's directing did just that.
Suspense is also an important part of any horror movie, and Polson sure knows how to work it into his film. As a viewer, you always got the sense that everything was not right with any of the characters, from David to Emily to the neighbors. Even the real estate agent, played by David Chandler, appeared a bit creepy -- and he only got a few lines! Polson's pacing constantly made you wonder what evil act is this character going to commit?
Acting-wise, I am simply speechless when it comes to Dakota Fanning. She can make an expressionless face look so creepy! Every time the camera settled on her pale and hollowed countenance, you'd wonder, what is she thinking? Why is she behaving this way? And, when she does crack a slight smile, you'd wish she wouldn't do that. You can't help but feel for her because of what she's suffering through. De Niro was good, as was Jensen and Amy Irving. But, undoubtably, the star that carried this film was Fanning's creepy portrayal of Emily Carraway.
When the plot does pick up and the action starts to tumble, it is intense, mysterious, nerve-wracking and even excrutiating to watch, all at the same time. As a huge horror film fan who longs for more films that rely on atmosphere and characterization rather than action and gore, I strongly recommend this film.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Stars Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Jensen
What an eventful day it was at the theatre! I went to the Rainbow Cinema to see Assault on Precinct 13 with my friend. She had checked the showtimes on the theatre company's website last night, and this movie was listed for today. When we got there, we realized that it was not going to be shown afterall. Disappointed, we bought tickets to see Hide and Seek. I was thoroughly surprised with the result.
Hide is about a psychologist named David Carraway (De Niro). His wife commits suicide, and in an effort to help his daughter cope with this trauma, he decides to move him and his daughter into a small town in upstate NY, away from the sad memories of the city life. Jensen plays the child psychologist, who tries to help little Emily (Fanning) through this tough period in her life. Emily's father wants to help her as well, since he is a psychologist, but Jensen and Emily have a very special friendship that is irreplaceable, just like Emily's relationship with her mother. As much as David loves his daughter and wants to help her, he can't, and she won't let him either.
Before selecting Assault, I had read some reviews about Hide at RottenTomatoes.com. Most of them were very disproving of the film, saying that it developed too slowly, that the story followed too many horror cliches, that the ending was a cop-out and the twist was blah blah blah blah blah. After seeing this movie, I have to wonder, did those critics go into theatre expecting it to be a failure? Did these critics already have all these colourful reasons why this movie should be so poorly crafted before the opening credits even came up? I'm puzzled, because I thoroughly enjoyed this film, as did my friend, and the rest of the theatre audience.
Like The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense, the story does start off quite slow -- as far as the action is concerned. What was put in place of the action was a lot of imagery, dialogue and character acting, all working together to create a mood. The atmosphere of the setting for a horror story is primary to its effectiveness. If you can create a creepy atmosphere that makes your viewer expect something dreadful to pop out at you (and they do several times throughout), then you would have succeeded, and the rest of the film just has to keep up the pace of revealing the creepy elements bit by bit. Polson's directing did just that.
Suspense is also an important part of any horror movie, and Polson sure knows how to work it into his film. As a viewer, you always got the sense that everything was not right with any of the characters, from David to Emily to the neighbors. Even the real estate agent, played by David Chandler, appeared a bit creepy -- and he only got a few lines! Polson's pacing constantly made you wonder what evil act is this character going to commit?
Acting-wise, I am simply speechless when it comes to Dakota Fanning. She can make an expressionless face look so creepy! Every time the camera settled on her pale and hollowed countenance, you'd wonder, what is she thinking? Why is she behaving this way? And, when she does crack a slight smile, you'd wish she wouldn't do that. You can't help but feel for her because of what she's suffering through. De Niro was good, as was Jensen and Amy Irving. But, undoubtably, the star that carried this film was Fanning's creepy portrayal of Emily Carraway.
When the plot does pick up and the action starts to tumble, it is intense, mysterious, nerve-wracking and even excrutiating to watch, all at the same time. As a huge horror film fan who longs for more films that rely on atmosphere and characterization rather than action and gore, I strongly recommend this film.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
2005 Canadian Figure Skating Championships
I was very happy to finally see some of my most anticipated skaters compete last weekend. Unfortunately, I missed the Ice Dance competition. What I did manage to see on Saturday night were the Pairs LPs and the Men's LPs.
I won't go into a list of all the elements that the skaters performed, but I will try and highlight some of the key aspects that distinguished one from the other.
Pairs LP
New Entry -- Anabelle Langlois and Patrice Archetto
This team showed what an advantage they have over other pairs teams: their experience. Langlois (pronounced lang-loh-wa) and Archetto had a very nice start to their skate. The opening poses were full of edges and spread-eagles, very interesting to watch and not easy to perform. The next element for them was supposed to be a throw triple loop, but Langlois didn't feel very secure and so she downgraded it to a triple toe instead. That would have been fine, except she two-footed the landing. This is usually a solid element for her, but having missed it, she became rattled and it showed in the next 2 minutes of skating. Both partners missed the SBS 3toes, and Archetto did not catch Langlois as securely as he should have in the throw triple twist. They did have a lot of height in this latter element, though. They attempted a second set of SBS triple toes, and they both missed again. After this, their nerves seemed to settle down a bit, to the relief of their fans and themselves, too, I'm sure.
Their star lift into a carry lift was very nice, their SBS spins were well in synch, and the rest of the program began to pick up momentum. Their BODS and spiral sequences were exquisite, showing the nice clean lines and curves. The highlight for many people was surely the "leap of faith," a hop and then right into the throw triple salchow. That ups the level of difficulty for the throw jump because right before it, the team did not have a chance to prepare. Just when you thought they had delivered all the goods, they showed us a straightline footwork sequence that was intricately woven between edgework and toe tapping, fast and electrifying. It took my breath away. They finished very strongly with the FIDS and a combination spin.
If you're confused about my "experience" comment, let me explain now. For any other younger team to have made the mistakes L/A made at the beginning of their program, they would not have been able to recollect themselves to spectacularly in the second half. They would have been too devasted and too nervous. L/A's experience saved them, and it helped them to earn the bronze medal. Score wise, they were only 8 points less than W/F, but the reason for that is the intricacy of their program. At no point in L/A's routine did they stand around and make gestures. Even when they were trying to "take a break" from performing all the big tricks, they were still doing some kind of footwork. Had they not made the crucial mistakes of missing both the SBS triple jumps, they would surely have won 2nd place.
Valerie Marcoux and Craig Buntin
Marcoux (pronounced mar-koo) and Buntin started very strong with some very nice footwork that involved edges and turns on their skates, and went straight into the SBS 3toe, then a hop into the 2toe. This is a beginning with fireworks. It was absolutely thrilling! The SBS (side by side) 3 toe is hard enough as it is, but to make themselves do footwork before they got to jump, and then to do it in combination with the 2toe! That requires perfect timing and perfect execution. If either of them lost an edge in the preceding footwork, the crucial SBS 3toe would have been ruined. If the 3toes were to be faulty, then the 2toe combination would have suffered. This sequence of footwork and jumps is worth so many points, and there are a tonne of places they could have messed it up. It's BIG RISK!
This is the pattern that repeats itself throughout their program. Their elements were not performed one after another, but in sets. For example, they did a set of Russian folk dance steps into an overhead lift. With most other teams, they'd do crossovers and crossovers to prepare for the lift, which requires precise timing and balance. What M/B did was they added to the difficulty of that lift by doing footwork preceding it.
Their BODS was exquisite and their combination spins were also very nicely done. The only problem they had was losing synch in the SBS spins, and they missed their 2nd set of SBS 3toes.
I have to say, though, I love the lifts performed by the teams of Richard Gautier. They all change position at least once in the air, and then they have the most flirtatious exits. The woman is always swinging out or twisting out of the lift. Both these qualities add to the difficulty of the lifts.
Wakamatsu and Fecteau
This is another team that can perform incredible lifts. I think this is the first time that I've seen Gauthier working with a female pair skater who has such incredible flexibility. Wakamatsu is originally from Japan, who discovered that her singles skating is not going to take her to the top of the Japanese National Team. She then moved to Canada and skate pairs with Jean-Sebastien Fecteau. They make such a lovely skating pair because he always treats his partners with such care and grace, and Wakamatsu is so lovely on the ice. Her flexibility allows her to make such nice clean lines in all her poses.
They started off with a Japanese style greeting, and there was not a lot of skating involved. Next, they did crossovers to enter the throw 3salchow. The 3twist was nice, very high, and then they did the SBS 3toe + 2toe combination. That was lovely. At this point, their skating starts to degrade because they are skating very far apart when they enter their SBS 2axels, which he missed. At the midpoint of the program, nothing much happens. They perform a sort of dance, but it's not really skating. Then they pick it up again with a star lift that changes position to a carry lift, and then back to a star lift. The changes of position is very difficult to do, especially if you're going from a regular lift, which requires the man to skate these steps and he makes these revolutions across the ice. When he goes into the carry-position, which does not have steps, he has to change his skating tempo. Then, while most other teams would just end the lift there, Fecteau changes tempo again to resume the revolving steps to complete the lift. All this time, Wakamatsu assumes the nicest positions in the air. She has such lovely extension in her legs down to her toes that it makes the lines so clean and exquisite.
At one point, W/F are performing the BODS and she loses her edge. then they do some SBS spins, and they prove that they can regain their focus after a major mistake. They follow with the BIDS, completing 2 revolutions on the ice, and then a straightline set of footwork. This was really nice. The finale is one of my faves of all time. They go into a lift with her doing the splits, her body stretched forward and her head resting next to her foot. The flexibility on this girl is amazing! Then, just when you're catching your breath at such a lovely sight, she folds out of the split and her body "tumbles" out of his hand and they strike their end pose. It's a ballet pose where her entire body is suspended by her legs, which are clinging to his arm. It's so beautiful!
I'll end my reviews here and I'll return later to write some more.
I won't go into a list of all the elements that the skaters performed, but I will try and highlight some of the key aspects that distinguished one from the other.
Pairs LP
New Entry -- Anabelle Langlois and Patrice Archetto
This team showed what an advantage they have over other pairs teams: their experience. Langlois (pronounced lang-loh-wa) and Archetto had a very nice start to their skate. The opening poses were full of edges and spread-eagles, very interesting to watch and not easy to perform. The next element for them was supposed to be a throw triple loop, but Langlois didn't feel very secure and so she downgraded it to a triple toe instead. That would have been fine, except she two-footed the landing. This is usually a solid element for her, but having missed it, she became rattled and it showed in the next 2 minutes of skating. Both partners missed the SBS 3toes, and Archetto did not catch Langlois as securely as he should have in the throw triple twist. They did have a lot of height in this latter element, though. They attempted a second set of SBS triple toes, and they both missed again. After this, their nerves seemed to settle down a bit, to the relief of their fans and themselves, too, I'm sure.
Their star lift into a carry lift was very nice, their SBS spins were well in synch, and the rest of the program began to pick up momentum. Their BODS and spiral sequences were exquisite, showing the nice clean lines and curves. The highlight for many people was surely the "leap of faith," a hop and then right into the throw triple salchow. That ups the level of difficulty for the throw jump because right before it, the team did not have a chance to prepare. Just when you thought they had delivered all the goods, they showed us a straightline footwork sequence that was intricately woven between edgework and toe tapping, fast and electrifying. It took my breath away. They finished very strongly with the FIDS and a combination spin.
If you're confused about my "experience" comment, let me explain now. For any other younger team to have made the mistakes L/A made at the beginning of their program, they would not have been able to recollect themselves to spectacularly in the second half. They would have been too devasted and too nervous. L/A's experience saved them, and it helped them to earn the bronze medal. Score wise, they were only 8 points less than W/F, but the reason for that is the intricacy of their program. At no point in L/A's routine did they stand around and make gestures. Even when they were trying to "take a break" from performing all the big tricks, they were still doing some kind of footwork. Had they not made the crucial mistakes of missing both the SBS triple jumps, they would surely have won 2nd place.
Valerie Marcoux and Craig Buntin
Marcoux (pronounced mar-koo) and Buntin started very strong with some very nice footwork that involved edges and turns on their skates, and went straight into the SBS 3toe, then a hop into the 2toe. This is a beginning with fireworks. It was absolutely thrilling! The SBS (side by side) 3 toe is hard enough as it is, but to make themselves do footwork before they got to jump, and then to do it in combination with the 2toe! That requires perfect timing and perfect execution. If either of them lost an edge in the preceding footwork, the crucial SBS 3toe would have been ruined. If the 3toes were to be faulty, then the 2toe combination would have suffered. This sequence of footwork and jumps is worth so many points, and there are a tonne of places they could have messed it up. It's BIG RISK!
This is the pattern that repeats itself throughout their program. Their elements were not performed one after another, but in sets. For example, they did a set of Russian folk dance steps into an overhead lift. With most other teams, they'd do crossovers and crossovers to prepare for the lift, which requires precise timing and balance. What M/B did was they added to the difficulty of that lift by doing footwork preceding it.
Their BODS was exquisite and their combination spins were also very nicely done. The only problem they had was losing synch in the SBS spins, and they missed their 2nd set of SBS 3toes.
I have to say, though, I love the lifts performed by the teams of Richard Gautier. They all change position at least once in the air, and then they have the most flirtatious exits. The woman is always swinging out or twisting out of the lift. Both these qualities add to the difficulty of the lifts.
Wakamatsu and Fecteau
This is another team that can perform incredible lifts. I think this is the first time that I've seen Gauthier working with a female pair skater who has such incredible flexibility. Wakamatsu is originally from Japan, who discovered that her singles skating is not going to take her to the top of the Japanese National Team. She then moved to Canada and skate pairs with Jean-Sebastien Fecteau. They make such a lovely skating pair because he always treats his partners with such care and grace, and Wakamatsu is so lovely on the ice. Her flexibility allows her to make such nice clean lines in all her poses.
They started off with a Japanese style greeting, and there was not a lot of skating involved. Next, they did crossovers to enter the throw 3salchow. The 3twist was nice, very high, and then they did the SBS 3toe + 2toe combination. That was lovely. At this point, their skating starts to degrade because they are skating very far apart when they enter their SBS 2axels, which he missed. At the midpoint of the program, nothing much happens. They perform a sort of dance, but it's not really skating. Then they pick it up again with a star lift that changes position to a carry lift, and then back to a star lift. The changes of position is very difficult to do, especially if you're going from a regular lift, which requires the man to skate these steps and he makes these revolutions across the ice. When he goes into the carry-position, which does not have steps, he has to change his skating tempo. Then, while most other teams would just end the lift there, Fecteau changes tempo again to resume the revolving steps to complete the lift. All this time, Wakamatsu assumes the nicest positions in the air. She has such lovely extension in her legs down to her toes that it makes the lines so clean and exquisite.
At one point, W/F are performing the BODS and she loses her edge. then they do some SBS spins, and they prove that they can regain their focus after a major mistake. They follow with the BIDS, completing 2 revolutions on the ice, and then a straightline set of footwork. This was really nice. The finale is one of my faves of all time. They go into a lift with her doing the splits, her body stretched forward and her head resting next to her foot. The flexibility on this girl is amazing! Then, just when you're catching your breath at such a lovely sight, she folds out of the split and her body "tumbles" out of his hand and they strike their end pose. It's a ballet pose where her entire body is suspended by her legs, which are clinging to his arm. It's so beautiful!
I'll end my reviews here and I'll return later to write some more.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Overdue News
I was away from the internet during the holidays because of a downed network. After that, the modem was messed up and so I was unable to log on to tell everyone about what's been happening.
I'll give a very brief overview right now.
1. Christmas dinner was very good. There was too much food, as usual, but it was all very good food. The roast beef turned out all right.
2. Christmas dinner with my friends at this new hotpot restaurant at Warden and Steeles was rather pathetic. It was a buffet style, but the selection of food for hotpot-ting was very limited. I had mostly fishballs, other seafood, some veggies and some BBQ meats. They didn't have the veggie called "tong-ho," and they only had salmon for fish. It was very disappointing.
After dinner we went back to "Knight's" house to watch movies. He rented Shaun of the Dead, and this was a very clever movie. It was hilarious at the end, but rather slow at the beginning. Then we exchanged presents and went home.
3. Hearing about the tsunami disaster in S.E.Asia was very disheartening. It made me realize how lucky I am to live in a region of the world where the worst we'll get is 3 meters of snow. Apparently, this is normal in the prairie provinces of Canada, and they have no idea why we were so upset cause we got 3 meters of snow and had to call in the army to help us clear it. Anyway, where I live, we don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, floods, droughts and so on. It was very embarrassing to see how slow the Canadian government responded to this disaster.
4. New Years was fun. I went out with friends to the restaurant called Peter Pan, and then we went to the First Night Celebrations at the Distilleries district. I'll write full review of the event later. That night, my friends and I talked about how we should help out the disaster in S.E.Asia, such as making monetary donations to aid organizations like the Red Cross, World Vision and so on. Today, I learned that there is a list of organizations that are reputed to manage their funds very effeciently, and to support them, the Cdn. gov't will match any donation made to these organizations. I will find out what is on that list and try to publish it here.
That's all for now. I'll write more later.
I'll give a very brief overview right now.
1. Christmas dinner was very good. There was too much food, as usual, but it was all very good food. The roast beef turned out all right.
2. Christmas dinner with my friends at this new hotpot restaurant at Warden and Steeles was rather pathetic. It was a buffet style, but the selection of food for hotpot-ting was very limited. I had mostly fishballs, other seafood, some veggies and some BBQ meats. They didn't have the veggie called "tong-ho," and they only had salmon for fish. It was very disappointing.
After dinner we went back to "Knight's" house to watch movies. He rented Shaun of the Dead, and this was a very clever movie. It was hilarious at the end, but rather slow at the beginning. Then we exchanged presents and went home.
3. Hearing about the tsunami disaster in S.E.Asia was very disheartening. It made me realize how lucky I am to live in a region of the world where the worst we'll get is 3 meters of snow. Apparently, this is normal in the prairie provinces of Canada, and they have no idea why we were so upset cause we got 3 meters of snow and had to call in the army to help us clear it. Anyway, where I live, we don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, floods, droughts and so on. It was very embarrassing to see how slow the Canadian government responded to this disaster.
4. New Years was fun. I went out with friends to the restaurant called Peter Pan, and then we went to the First Night Celebrations at the Distilleries district. I'll write full review of the event later. That night, my friends and I talked about how we should help out the disaster in S.E.Asia, such as making monetary donations to aid organizations like the Red Cross, World Vision and so on. Today, I learned that there is a list of organizations that are reputed to manage their funds very effeciently, and to support them, the Cdn. gov't will match any donation made to these organizations. I will find out what is on that list and try to publish it here.
That's all for now. I'll write more later.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Movie Review: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
I firmly believe I would have enjoyed reading the books a lot more.
I saw the preview for this movie in the theatres, and I thought it looked interesting...but my interest was not peaked then.
It peaked when my friend compared the soundtracks of Lemony to that of the Harry Potter films. The soundtrack of Lemony is said to have captured the essence of the story much better than that of Harry Potter. After seeing the film, I have to say that I agree. The music in Lemony is much more evocative of the setting and it enhances a lot of the emotional scenes.
The story of 3 children being orphaned, and having to fend for their own lives against a greedy "guardian" is a very gripping concept. However, I didn't feel that the sadness, the desperation and the anguish was conveyed to the audience all that well. The injustices in the story didn't make me feel angry like it should have, which is a major miss on the director's part. The humour was very nice: subtle and understated. Some of it was a bit childish, but that's expected of a children's movie.
The characterization has to be a hit because not only did the actors do a superb job, but praise must be given to the author for creating characters who have strong skills. This is what prepares a character to face the challenges they faced and to be able to survive on those skills. Each character can play his/her part and help the team. That is so important in this story, as we see very clearly at the very end, when Violet reads the letter from their dead parents.
The film did have it's brilliant moments, such as the suspense of the train track scene, the leech scene and the wedding scene. If there is one thing that makes this film, it's the buildup to the climax. The letter from the parents at the very end put a very touching moment on the story, even if it didn't happen in the books.
Overall, I think thsi movie would be good for children to see because it is very entertainting. However, I would rather read the books.
I give Lemony 3/5 stars.
I saw the preview for this movie in the theatres, and I thought it looked interesting...but my interest was not peaked then.
It peaked when my friend compared the soundtracks of Lemony to that of the Harry Potter films. The soundtrack of Lemony is said to have captured the essence of the story much better than that of Harry Potter. After seeing the film, I have to say that I agree. The music in Lemony is much more evocative of the setting and it enhances a lot of the emotional scenes.
The story of 3 children being orphaned, and having to fend for their own lives against a greedy "guardian" is a very gripping concept. However, I didn't feel that the sadness, the desperation and the anguish was conveyed to the audience all that well. The injustices in the story didn't make me feel angry like it should have, which is a major miss on the director's part. The humour was very nice: subtle and understated. Some of it was a bit childish, but that's expected of a children's movie.
The characterization has to be a hit because not only did the actors do a superb job, but praise must be given to the author for creating characters who have strong skills. This is what prepares a character to face the challenges they faced and to be able to survive on those skills. Each character can play his/her part and help the team. That is so important in this story, as we see very clearly at the very end, when Violet reads the letter from their dead parents.
The film did have it's brilliant moments, such as the suspense of the train track scene, the leech scene and the wedding scene. If there is one thing that makes this film, it's the buildup to the climax. The letter from the parents at the very end put a very touching moment on the story, even if it didn't happen in the books.
Overall, I think thsi movie would be good for children to see because it is very entertainting. However, I would rather read the books.
I give Lemony 3/5 stars.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
How Anti-Climatic! =(
Tonight, I was planning on going to the City Hall and watch the Calvacade of Lights Christmas Celebration, which includes fireworks and music.
First, Dad and I went to pick up Mum from work. When we got there, she said she was feeling very sick and wanted to stay at home tonight. So we drove her home, and then we went to get dinner, and then we headed downtown.
When we got to City Hall, it was 8:10pm. We walked around, took some pictures of the Christmas lighting display, watched people skate, watched the zamboni clean the ice, and then it was 9:00pm. Now, I don't know why, but I have always been very interested in watching the zamboni clean the ice. Something about how the ice surface is all rough beforehand, and when the zamboni goes through it, it's all shiny and smooth. I love watching that.
Anyway, I finally went and asked one of the people who work there about what time does the fireworks start. Guess what he said?
"8 o'clock"
"So, it's over?"
"Yep, sorry."
"S'okay" (NO IT'S NOT!)
How sad. I was looking forward to this for 3 weeks and I missed it! ARRRGGH!!!
First, Dad and I went to pick up Mum from work. When we got there, she said she was feeling very sick and wanted to stay at home tonight. So we drove her home, and then we went to get dinner, and then we headed downtown.
When we got to City Hall, it was 8:10pm. We walked around, took some pictures of the Christmas lighting display, watched people skate, watched the zamboni clean the ice, and then it was 9:00pm. Now, I don't know why, but I have always been very interested in watching the zamboni clean the ice. Something about how the ice surface is all rough beforehand, and when the zamboni goes through it, it's all shiny and smooth. I love watching that.
Anyway, I finally went and asked one of the people who work there about what time does the fireworks start. Guess what he said?
"8 o'clock"
"So, it's over?"
"Yep, sorry."
"S'okay" (NO IT'S NOT!)
How sad. I was looking forward to this for 3 weeks and I missed it! ARRRGGH!!!
Thank You "Joseph" for his kind gesture
There is still kindness to be found in Torontonians. "Joseph" is one of them.
Today, I went grocery shopping with my dad at No Frills. While in the supermarket, Dad showed me how risky it was to clip my brother's cellphone on his belt. When he sits in the car and his leg is up, the cellphone might get pushed off his belt. That should have convinced him to put it in his coat pocket. As we got in the car to leave, he felt for the cellphone under his coat, and it was still attached to his belt.
After leaving No Frills, we drove to Bridlewood Mall. We parked the car, got out and went into the mall. My dad, wanting to make sure that he still had my brother's cellphone on his belt, felt for it. It wasn't there. He lifted his jacket and cried out, "oh no! Where's the cellphone?" I told him to check all his pockets, and he said the phone was never placed in a pocket, it was hanging from his belt. I scanned the floor of the mall entrance and I didn't see any cellphone.
Dad started to get very worried and I told him to stay calm. We'll retrace the steps and we might be able to find it. So, we backtracked to the parking lot and when the cellphone was still nowhere to be seen, we looked inside the car. We shifted the seats up and down to see if the phone might have fallen into a nook under the chair. Nope, the cellphone wasn't there either.
I told dad, let's go back to No Frills. Maybe he dropped it when we were loading the groceries into the trunk. If someone found it, they'd probably take it into the store and give it to the store clerk. "Of course not," said Dad. "They'll keep it for themselves!" I insisted it's worth a try.
We drove back to No Frills and Dad dropped me off in front of the supermarket, while he went to look in the area where we parked. Inside the store, I asked the cashier where we had lined up earlier if he had seen a cellphone. He said no one had turned anything in. He asked the lady at the next cash checkout if anyone had turned in a cellphone. His colleague said no. She told me to write down my contact info, so I did. Then he suggested that I call the number of the cellphone to see if anyone found it. I did as he suggested and I kept calling the number from my own cellphone for the next hour, until we got home. No one answered the phone. I thought, it's lost for sure.
When I finally got inside the house, I used the house phone to call. This time, someone picked up, and I could hear his breathing, but he wouldn't say a word. Then he'd hang up.
I kept calling, and I called about 6 more times before the man finally spoke. I told him he has my phone, and that I would like to get it back. In a heavy accent, he told me to come to his apartment to get it. He gave me his address and the instructions for the intercom in the building's lobby. I agreed. I asked him for his name and he said "Joseph." After we hung up, I looked the address and I couldn't find it. I called back and this time, the man's daughter answered. She gave me detailed instructions on how to find her building.
Dad drove us there and when I called the my brother's cellphone again and Joseph's daughter said he's coming down to the lobby. I waited and 5 mins later, an old man appeared exiting from the elevator. He was very thin, had grey hair, and a very friendly smile. I handed him a box of Ferero Roche chocolates and a lucky money pouch. We chatted for a little bit, and he explained he didn't know how to use the cellphone. He didn't feel confident speaking to strangers on a cellphone, but he spoke to me cause I told him I was looking for the phone. After that, we wished each other season greetings, and then we left.
What a nice kind gesture by Joseph. Thanks!
Today, I went grocery shopping with my dad at No Frills. While in the supermarket, Dad showed me how risky it was to clip my brother's cellphone on his belt. When he sits in the car and his leg is up, the cellphone might get pushed off his belt. That should have convinced him to put it in his coat pocket. As we got in the car to leave, he felt for the cellphone under his coat, and it was still attached to his belt.
After leaving No Frills, we drove to Bridlewood Mall. We parked the car, got out and went into the mall. My dad, wanting to make sure that he still had my brother's cellphone on his belt, felt for it. It wasn't there. He lifted his jacket and cried out, "oh no! Where's the cellphone?" I told him to check all his pockets, and he said the phone was never placed in a pocket, it was hanging from his belt. I scanned the floor of the mall entrance and I didn't see any cellphone.
Dad started to get very worried and I told him to stay calm. We'll retrace the steps and we might be able to find it. So, we backtracked to the parking lot and when the cellphone was still nowhere to be seen, we looked inside the car. We shifted the seats up and down to see if the phone might have fallen into a nook under the chair. Nope, the cellphone wasn't there either.
I told dad, let's go back to No Frills. Maybe he dropped it when we were loading the groceries into the trunk. If someone found it, they'd probably take it into the store and give it to the store clerk. "Of course not," said Dad. "They'll keep it for themselves!" I insisted it's worth a try.
We drove back to No Frills and Dad dropped me off in front of the supermarket, while he went to look in the area where we parked. Inside the store, I asked the cashier where we had lined up earlier if he had seen a cellphone. He said no one had turned anything in. He asked the lady at the next cash checkout if anyone had turned in a cellphone. His colleague said no. She told me to write down my contact info, so I did. Then he suggested that I call the number of the cellphone to see if anyone found it. I did as he suggested and I kept calling the number from my own cellphone for the next hour, until we got home. No one answered the phone. I thought, it's lost for sure.
When I finally got inside the house, I used the house phone to call. This time, someone picked up, and I could hear his breathing, but he wouldn't say a word. Then he'd hang up.
I kept calling, and I called about 6 more times before the man finally spoke. I told him he has my phone, and that I would like to get it back. In a heavy accent, he told me to come to his apartment to get it. He gave me his address and the instructions for the intercom in the building's lobby. I agreed. I asked him for his name and he said "Joseph." After we hung up, I looked the address and I couldn't find it. I called back and this time, the man's daughter answered. She gave me detailed instructions on how to find her building.
Dad drove us there and when I called the my brother's cellphone again and Joseph's daughter said he's coming down to the lobby. I waited and 5 mins later, an old man appeared exiting from the elevator. He was very thin, had grey hair, and a very friendly smile. I handed him a box of Ferero Roche chocolates and a lucky money pouch. We chatted for a little bit, and he explained he didn't know how to use the cellphone. He didn't feel confident speaking to strangers on a cellphone, but he spoke to me cause I told him I was looking for the phone. After that, we wished each other season greetings, and then we left.
What a nice kind gesture by Joseph. Thanks!
Thursday, December 16, 2004
No Need to Register
Hello Friends,
I've just enabled the "anyone" posting function so that anyone can post comments and replies. You no longer have to register to post a comment.
I've just enabled the "anyone" posting function so that anyone can post comments and replies. You no longer have to register to post a comment.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Latest on Cecilia Zhang's Legacy
I just read a news story about the Cecilia Zhang scholarship fund for music students.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article& amp;cid=1103065819324&call_pageid=968332188492&col =968793972154
"It was a very sad thing that happened to her, but some goodness came from it," said the soft-spoken Anna. "Sometimes I think of Cecilia when I'm playing."
Anna Vertypolokh is the recipient of a $2800 grant. She is a gifted pianist, and she is only 10 years old.
I remember the day I was riding in my dad's car, on the way to school or some place, and we heard on the news that a girl had been abducted from her bedroom overnight. When her parents went to get her in the morning, she was gone. It was so frightening to think that something so frightening can happen to a child. Later, her body was discovered and now, her killer is in jail.
How ironic that today, as Cecilia's trust fund has benefitted another child to help fulfill Anna's dreams, somewhere far away, in another country, a young man was murdered after what appears to be a fake attempt at kidnapping for ransom.
This was a young man who liked to play football. Cecilia was a young girl who liked to play music and who loved animals. How could there be human beings out there, who are so cold-blooded and so beastly that they could take life away from these two innocent people?
My friend said of this young man's family, that the father quit his job and started his own business, bought a new house so that his family can live comfortably. Parents who work so hard to provide for their children, who try their hardest to make life good for their children, how do they go on after this?
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article& amp;cid=1103065819324&call_pageid=968332188492&col =968793972154
"It was a very sad thing that happened to her, but some goodness came from it," said the soft-spoken Anna. "Sometimes I think of Cecilia when I'm playing."
Anna Vertypolokh is the recipient of a $2800 grant. She is a gifted pianist, and she is only 10 years old.
I remember the day I was riding in my dad's car, on the way to school or some place, and we heard on the news that a girl had been abducted from her bedroom overnight. When her parents went to get her in the morning, she was gone. It was so frightening to think that something so frightening can happen to a child. Later, her body was discovered and now, her killer is in jail.
How ironic that today, as Cecilia's trust fund has benefitted another child to help fulfill Anna's dreams, somewhere far away, in another country, a young man was murdered after what appears to be a fake attempt at kidnapping for ransom.
This was a young man who liked to play football. Cecilia was a young girl who liked to play music and who loved animals. How could there be human beings out there, who are so cold-blooded and so beastly that they could take life away from these two innocent people?
My friend said of this young man's family, that the father quit his job and started his own business, bought a new house so that his family can live comfortably. Parents who work so hard to provide for their children, who try their hardest to make life good for their children, how do they go on after this?
Thoughts on The Magician's Nephew
Some of you may already know that I am reading the first book of the Chronicles of Narnia.
I mentioned to ChasezGranger this:
"What an obnoxious whimp Uncle Andrew is. I have to give it to Lewis, who has created a very human villian in Uncle Andrew. Yes, he is a coward, and he keeps mistreating the children, meanwhile he is sucking up to the witch, Queen Jadis. He is, however, not a stupid follower. He does recognize that Jadis is not a person he wants to commit to, but this is for his own personal greedy reasons, not because he sees the evil in the acts she commits."
To which she replied:
"Your description of Uncle Andrew reminds me very much of Peter Pettigrew."
ChasezGranger has spotted a very good parallel between the two characters. For those who don't know, Peter Pettigrew is a character from the Harry Potter books, who betrayed James and Lily to Lord Voldemort, and subsequently their death. Peter decided to help Lord Voldemort because he thought that it would benefit him to do so, and he probably believed that when LV gained dominion over the entire world, Peter himself will be spared death. So far, he has helped LV to be reborn in the flesh, and LV has given him a silver hand in return. We don't know what will happen to Peter Pettigrew as yet, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
JK Rowling has announced that she has started writing book 7, which means that she has finished book 6! Hopefully, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will be published in the summer of 2005. That would be splendid! =D
Back to The Magician's Nephew, I've noticed a lot of parallels between this story and that of the book of Genesis. In the land of Narnia, Aslan the Lion tells Digory to go to the valley of green fields beyond the falls. There he will find an apple tree and he is to pick an apple from that tree. This is like the pomegranate tree that Eve was faced with. When Digory arrives and plucks an apple from the tree, he encounters the evil witch, Queen Jadis. She tempts him to eat an apple from the tree. She has already eaten one, and Digory can tell that the apple has made her stronger and younger. She tells him, eat an apple so that you can live longer. Take one to your mother so that she will be healed from her illness, and then she won't die. Digory was at first very tempted, until Queen Jadis says, "don't worry, no one shall know about your eating the apple, not if you leave here afterwards and you leave Polly here. No one in your own world would know."
That snapped Digory back to his senses because the thought of abandoning his best friend, Polly, was so terrible to him. In the end, he took an apple back to Aslan and all was well.
There are also thematic similarities between the story of Narnia and that of Genesis. Aslan describes how Queen Jadis may live a very long time, but because of her eating of the apple from the tree, she has forfeited any chance of redemption and she will never see true love again. That is worse than dying. From now on, if she ever smells the scent of the apple, it will smell rank to her and she will never see the beauty of Narnia ever again.
Besides the similarities to the book of Genesis, I also noticed a lot of similarities between this story and Harry Potter. In this section of the story, Digory and Polly ride on Fledge, a horse that has been transformed into a pegasus by Aslan. This reminds me of Harry and Hermione riding Buckbeak the hippogriff. There is a passage where it describes the landscape of Narnia, when Digory and Polly were resting after a day of journeying in the sky. It was night time, and when they rested, they heard the sound of the river, and they saw the beauty of the night sky. This is so strongly reminiscent of Harry and Hermione's adventure in the Forbidden Forest, during the Time Turner sequence in the novel, The Prizoner of Azkaban. There, JK Rowling describes the moonlight and the rustling of the leaves in the trees overhead. The imagery of the nature surrounding both these pairs are so lovely.
That's all I have to write on Narnia. I hope to get The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe soon. Then I can read about the next stage of adventures.
I mentioned to ChasezGranger this:
"What an obnoxious whimp Uncle Andrew is. I have to give it to Lewis, who has created a very human villian in Uncle Andrew. Yes, he is a coward, and he keeps mistreating the children, meanwhile he is sucking up to the witch, Queen Jadis. He is, however, not a stupid follower. He does recognize that Jadis is not a person he wants to commit to, but this is for his own personal greedy reasons, not because he sees the evil in the acts she commits."
To which she replied:
"Your description of Uncle Andrew reminds me very much of Peter Pettigrew."
ChasezGranger has spotted a very good parallel between the two characters. For those who don't know, Peter Pettigrew is a character from the Harry Potter books, who betrayed James and Lily to Lord Voldemort, and subsequently their death. Peter decided to help Lord Voldemort because he thought that it would benefit him to do so, and he probably believed that when LV gained dominion over the entire world, Peter himself will be spared death. So far, he has helped LV to be reborn in the flesh, and LV has given him a silver hand in return. We don't know what will happen to Peter Pettigrew as yet, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
JK Rowling has announced that she has started writing book 7, which means that she has finished book 6! Hopefully, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince will be published in the summer of 2005. That would be splendid! =D
Back to The Magician's Nephew, I've noticed a lot of parallels between this story and that of the book of Genesis. In the land of Narnia, Aslan the Lion tells Digory to go to the valley of green fields beyond the falls. There he will find an apple tree and he is to pick an apple from that tree. This is like the pomegranate tree that Eve was faced with. When Digory arrives and plucks an apple from the tree, he encounters the evil witch, Queen Jadis. She tempts him to eat an apple from the tree. She has already eaten one, and Digory can tell that the apple has made her stronger and younger. She tells him, eat an apple so that you can live longer. Take one to your mother so that she will be healed from her illness, and then she won't die. Digory was at first very tempted, until Queen Jadis says, "don't worry, no one shall know about your eating the apple, not if you leave here afterwards and you leave Polly here. No one in your own world would know."
That snapped Digory back to his senses because the thought of abandoning his best friend, Polly, was so terrible to him. In the end, he took an apple back to Aslan and all was well.
There are also thematic similarities between the story of Narnia and that of Genesis. Aslan describes how Queen Jadis may live a very long time, but because of her eating of the apple from the tree, she has forfeited any chance of redemption and she will never see true love again. That is worse than dying. From now on, if she ever smells the scent of the apple, it will smell rank to her and she will never see the beauty of Narnia ever again.
Besides the similarities to the book of Genesis, I also noticed a lot of similarities between this story and Harry Potter. In this section of the story, Digory and Polly ride on Fledge, a horse that has been transformed into a pegasus by Aslan. This reminds me of Harry and Hermione riding Buckbeak the hippogriff. There is a passage where it describes the landscape of Narnia, when Digory and Polly were resting after a day of journeying in the sky. It was night time, and when they rested, they heard the sound of the river, and they saw the beauty of the night sky. This is so strongly reminiscent of Harry and Hermione's adventure in the Forbidden Forest, during the Time Turner sequence in the novel, The Prizoner of Azkaban. There, JK Rowling describes the moonlight and the rustling of the leaves in the trees overhead. The imagery of the nature surrounding both these pairs are so lovely.
That's all I have to write on Narnia. I hope to get The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe soon. Then I can read about the next stage of adventures.
Volunteering Today
Today, I was volunteering at the __ JHS .
Nothing much happened today. All I did was shelve some books and did some other menial admin tasks for the teacher librarian.
I asked Mrs. F. about the ESL program at the school, and what I learned was that it's almost non-existent. As the English teacher, she has to take care of all the ESL students in her class. This makes it virtually impossible for the lower level ESL students to learn any English in class becuase Mrs. F. simply does not have enough time. I asked her if she would be okay with me giving lessons to the ESL students, and she said she's perfectly fine with it. I'm really looking forward to this.
For "Sue," I hope to give her more practice at speaking English. She is very shy by nature, and with English being a foreign language to her at this point, she really needs to be held by the hand every step of the way - initially. I want her to feel comfortable with hearing herself speak English, so that she can recognize her own sounds.
There are other students, but they seem to be at a higher level, so I'll have to see what I can do with them.
I went to visit the Book Fair again today and I bought a book called The Stable Where Jesus Was Born. It is written by Rhonda Gowler Greene, and the illustrations are by Susan Gaber. I saw it on Monday, but I was not sure if I wanted to buy it. Today, I saw it again, and the pictures look so beautiful, I just had to get it. I also got another heart-shaped ladybug notepad. It's really cute! I also got 3 more pencils with a velvet covering and 1 bookmark.
I am proud to let Greicy know that I did not buy up the entire book fair, and yes, I did leave the kids with a lot of stuff to buy. =P
Nothing much happened today. All I did was shelve some books and did some other menial admin tasks for the teacher librarian.
I asked Mrs. F. about the ESL program at the school, and what I learned was that it's almost non-existent. As the English teacher, she has to take care of all the ESL students in her class. This makes it virtually impossible for the lower level ESL students to learn any English in class becuase Mrs. F. simply does not have enough time. I asked her if she would be okay with me giving lessons to the ESL students, and she said she's perfectly fine with it. I'm really looking forward to this.
For "Sue," I hope to give her more practice at speaking English. She is very shy by nature, and with English being a foreign language to her at this point, she really needs to be held by the hand every step of the way - initially. I want her to feel comfortable with hearing herself speak English, so that she can recognize her own sounds.
There are other students, but they seem to be at a higher level, so I'll have to see what I can do with them.
I went to visit the Book Fair again today and I bought a book called The Stable Where Jesus Was Born. It is written by Rhonda Gowler Greene, and the illustrations are by Susan Gaber. I saw it on Monday, but I was not sure if I wanted to buy it. Today, I saw it again, and the pictures look so beautiful, I just had to get it. I also got another heart-shaped ladybug notepad. It's really cute! I also got 3 more pencils with a velvet covering and 1 bookmark.
I am proud to let Greicy know that I did not buy up the entire book fair, and yes, I did leave the kids with a lot of stuff to buy. =P
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