I saw "The Kids are Alright" the other day with Jason. The story is about a lesbian couple who raised two kids by in vitro fertilzation with an anonymous donor. Each woman had a child with the same donor. Things get interesting 18 years later when the donor shows up at their door and attempts to become a part of the family. I won't go into too much detail, as while I did enjoy the film, I'm more excited and eager to present the next film I just recently saw.
"The Secret in their eyes" by Argentinean director Juan Jose Campanella is a true masterpiece! The story is set in modern day Argentina through initially, the eyes of a retired court investigator. The film very fluidly however, brings us back 25 years to when the story actually begins, with the brutal murder of a beautiful young woman. Benjamin Esposito, played by Ricardo Darin (why haven't I known about this man before??) is a marvel to watch, he is somehow able to convey great emotional richness while saying precious little. His best friend and hapless alcoholic takes a comedic turn and turns in a fine performance, delivering some of the funniest lines in the film. The female lead is also wonderful to watch. Honestly, I can't gush enough about the acting superlatives so I'll just leave it at that, tremendous acting. Done!
But the story! The story was itself a fourth major player in the ball game. It's a crime novella, a mystery, an unwinding tale that leads us deeper and deeper, with fresh surprises at multiple turns. Even when you think the mystery is solved, you soon realize that the journey is only half way there, there was still more deliciousness awaiting!
Okay now I'm starting to babble like an Argentinean, all exclamation points and excited passion. The story as I was saying started off as a remininscing of sorts, as a man gnaws and chews on a case that's tormented him for 25+ years. A teacher and newly married, was raped and murdered, and at first, the murder was pinned on some hapless innocents. Based on some paltry evidence, the investigators nonetheless find the true perpetrator very quickly. (Here, it requires a bit of the stretch on your imagination, but play along, you will be richly rewarded) The story evolves beyond just the identity of the culprit, it also centered on the unfulfilled and unspoken passion between the two main characters, the husband of the young wife and how he dealt with the tragedy, and also Esposito's good friend. So what I liked so much about the story is how all these elements interplay and are richly woven together.
I can't say enough good things about the cinematography of the film too, it's shot in lush, richly hued tones which colors the film (literally) in a dramatic fashion, in line with the backdrop of the story development. I also enjoy the multiple ways in which the camera approaches its subjects, very creative and often unsettling ways, but it brings an arresting visual element to the film.
Anyway, I learned afterwards that the film won the Academy Award for best International Film of 2010. I'm not surprised, it deserved this accolade in spades. In 2010 I've had the pleasure of seeing many good films, but this one definitely will stay with me for some time to come.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Orlando, Fl
Hello from Orlando! I've been vegging in my hotel room all afternoon. Since I decided not to get a rental, and since a quick look outside my window offered a nice but somewhat forbidding view of the downtown area, I explored the world from bed, or otherwise known as internet browsing. I didn't feel like going to an amusement park all by myself (hopefully for obvious reasons) and I didn't feel like whiling time at the local mall.
So far I think my impressions of Orlando is, it's a pleasant touristy city. That's it. The fact that there are all these awesome amusement parks in the vicinity deters me more than attracts me as good place to train. It just seems like it would be hard to be taken seriously in a place like this. I wonder if the doctors here also put on a dinner and a show for the price of one hospital admission? In their defense though, this one hospital I passed by on the way to the hotel is drop dead gorgeous. Shiny metallic building gleaming and towering in the sun, admidst clusters of palm trees. Really the hospital out of TV shows. I think it's called Orlando Regional Medical Center or something like that, and I was a tad disappointed it wasn't where I'll be interviewing tomorrow.
Dinner tonight was a lonely affair, but at least it was on the program! I had shrimp scampi, the shrimp was super fresh. I have to say, I haven't had one bad seafood dish in Florida so far, in all the times I've been in Florida, mind you.
Alright, well tomorrow is interview day and I hope it won't be too painful. In the meantime, I need to kill some more time between now and bedtime.
Adios!
So far I think my impressions of Orlando is, it's a pleasant touristy city. That's it. The fact that there are all these awesome amusement parks in the vicinity deters me more than attracts me as good place to train. It just seems like it would be hard to be taken seriously in a place like this. I wonder if the doctors here also put on a dinner and a show for the price of one hospital admission? In their defense though, this one hospital I passed by on the way to the hotel is drop dead gorgeous. Shiny metallic building gleaming and towering in the sun, admidst clusters of palm trees. Really the hospital out of TV shows. I think it's called Orlando Regional Medical Center or something like that, and I was a tad disappointed it wasn't where I'll be interviewing tomorrow.
Dinner tonight was a lonely affair, but at least it was on the program! I had shrimp scampi, the shrimp was super fresh. I have to say, I haven't had one bad seafood dish in Florida so far, in all the times I've been in Florida, mind you.
Alright, well tomorrow is interview day and I hope it won't be too painful. In the meantime, I need to kill some more time between now and bedtime.
Adios!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Lazy Sunday
Today was a much needed day of R&R. However I did wake up bright and early at 7 AM, after an attack of the insomnia monster. What did I do to capture the glorious essence of all this available free time on my hands? I went straight to my computer and plunker down to browse aimlessly for the next several hours. So well, exercising at the gym didn't happen today. But it's just as well, since I'm developing the beginning of a cold and I hope it goes away before my air travel tomorrow.
Jason and I went to Chinatown and brought back a whole bunch of goodies. Honey bbq pork is on the menu tonight, as well as a bunch of pork fat laden baked pastries. I just realized that this coming week, I'll be gone for a good 5/6 of the time, so it's really not necessarily to stock up on groceries. Whenever I'm not here, Jason usually doesn't cook either.
I attempted to start a project I've long wanted to do. I had wanted to digitalize our old family pictures for posterity's sakes. I got as far as 8 pictures scanned and uploaded. However, as I haven't figured out a way to make them the format I want (jpeg) you can say the technical difficulties are kind of running the project to the ground. I don't foresee going very far with this until I figure out the issue.
To end this exciting post, we're going to watch the film "The Kids are Alright" Typical Jason, he refuses to tell me anything about it before we watch it. I guess I'll share more when I'm done with it!
Tootaloo!
Jason and I went to Chinatown and brought back a whole bunch of goodies. Honey bbq pork is on the menu tonight, as well as a bunch of pork fat laden baked pastries. I just realized that this coming week, I'll be gone for a good 5/6 of the time, so it's really not necessarily to stock up on groceries. Whenever I'm not here, Jason usually doesn't cook either.
I attempted to start a project I've long wanted to do. I had wanted to digitalize our old family pictures for posterity's sakes. I got as far as 8 pictures scanned and uploaded. However, as I haven't figured out a way to make them the format I want (jpeg) you can say the technical difficulties are kind of running the project to the ground. I don't foresee going very far with this until I figure out the issue.
To end this exciting post, we're going to watch the film "The Kids are Alright" Typical Jason, he refuses to tell me anything about it before we watch it. I guess I'll share more when I'm done with it!
Tootaloo!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Rusty brain needs tune-up
Hello folks! I'm back and roaring to go! I've hit an all time low in terms of blog posts this past year. And let's see if I can make up some of that in the tail end of 2010.
Today was an oddly serendipitous return to blogging. I was just bored and searching for something to do, anything to do, really. And I stumbled upon Jason's old blog which I promptly began to read to much amusement and mirth. Talk about blast from the past. Jason hasn't touched it in years. And sadly, neither have I. But it was really interesting to read what he wrote back in the day and having the hindsight of knowing what happened to at least one of his "housemates." What a weird wacky world we do live in!
So Yoming and Dave came to visit us in Philadelphia today. It was lovely. We went to El Vez, a Mexican place down the street. I personally love their corn soup with scallop, but I also figured out today that, that's about all I really like about that restaurant. Too bad, next time they come, we'll try to find a more exciting culinary experience. On a different note, we got into a rather scintillating discussion about how we would personally teach our future children. I became rather emotional, admittedly, on the subject of the need to treat both son and daughter equally. I think Y&D were probably surprised, but this is an issue quite near and dear to my heart. I never feel or believe that I am a hard-core feminist espousing militant indoctrinations of female empowerment. On the other hand, I do truly believe that this world still sells many, if not most, of its women short. And while I get that it's the "reality" of the world, it neither has to be, nor does it have be perpetuated by females themselves.
Yes, as a future physician, I'm well aware of the actual physical differences between males and females. But my stance has never been that women and men are absolutely the same, only that in certain biopsychosocial areas, there ought to be one standard yardstick to abide by. Therefore, I remain firm in my belief that I do not need to nor should I treat my children differently solely based on gender difference. That is ultimately doing a disservice to my future daughter, as well as conveying the message that I condone and implicitly approve the double standard applied to women of our society.
Okay done, I can get off my soapbox now! Anyway, the rest of their visit was whiled away in idle pleasantries. Jason and Dave got into playing Streetfighter on a super natty (read: old) nintendo set. It was only borderline entertaining to watch them go at it, I'll admit, not a huge fan of being a videogame groupie. Still was very happy to see my two favorite people from nyc and happier still they trekked all the way to the City of Brotherly Stinkhole to visit us. That's true friendship, eh folks?
Today was an oddly serendipitous return to blogging. I was just bored and searching for something to do, anything to do, really. And I stumbled upon Jason's old blog which I promptly began to read to much amusement and mirth. Talk about blast from the past. Jason hasn't touched it in years. And sadly, neither have I. But it was really interesting to read what he wrote back in the day and having the hindsight of knowing what happened to at least one of his "housemates." What a weird wacky world we do live in!
So Yoming and Dave came to visit us in Philadelphia today. It was lovely. We went to El Vez, a Mexican place down the street. I personally love their corn soup with scallop, but I also figured out today that, that's about all I really like about that restaurant. Too bad, next time they come, we'll try to find a more exciting culinary experience. On a different note, we got into a rather scintillating discussion about how we would personally teach our future children. I became rather emotional, admittedly, on the subject of the need to treat both son and daughter equally. I think Y&D were probably surprised, but this is an issue quite near and dear to my heart. I never feel or believe that I am a hard-core feminist espousing militant indoctrinations of female empowerment. On the other hand, I do truly believe that this world still sells many, if not most, of its women short. And while I get that it's the "reality" of the world, it neither has to be, nor does it have be perpetuated by females themselves.
Yes, as a future physician, I'm well aware of the actual physical differences between males and females. But my stance has never been that women and men are absolutely the same, only that in certain biopsychosocial areas, there ought to be one standard yardstick to abide by. Therefore, I remain firm in my belief that I do not need to nor should I treat my children differently solely based on gender difference. That is ultimately doing a disservice to my future daughter, as well as conveying the message that I condone and implicitly approve the double standard applied to women of our society.
Okay done, I can get off my soapbox now! Anyway, the rest of their visit was whiled away in idle pleasantries. Jason and Dave got into playing Streetfighter on a super natty (read: old) nintendo set. It was only borderline entertaining to watch them go at it, I'll admit, not a huge fan of being a videogame groupie. Still was very happy to see my two favorite people from nyc and happier still they trekked all the way to the City of Brotherly Stinkhole to visit us. That's true friendship, eh folks?
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