Thursday, October 28, 2010

Dear Julia Stiles, No thanks.

Julia Stiles. is. the. worst.
I was so disappointed when she joined Dexter this season. Apparently she will appear in 10 episodes, which I hope does not extend.
As an actress, I think she just plain stinks. I also find something about her voice irksome. I feel like she is just (like so many) a pretty girl who is not the right kind of pretty for modeling, but looks pretty enough on TV and in magazines, so therefore; is an actress.

Anyways, aside from my already formed negative opinion of her, I also found Sunday's episode of Dexter very awkward. When Julia Stiles and Michael C. Hall are having conversations at the diner, it is as if their scenes were filmed at different times. Did anyone else notice how choppy and awkward these scenes were? I even noticed that Michael C. Hall's hair changed between shots, which makes me believe it was another person entirely sitting across from her. Why do directors do this? Are actors really that busy that they have to film scenes in which they appear sitting across from each other, seperately?

Though I know this is not Julia Stiles' fault, I still contribute it to my dislike for her. I just really hope she doesn't ruin Dexter like she does most things.
To her credit, I can say she was fine in 10 Things I Hate About You. I absolutely love that movie. I think "Teenage Angst" might be the only acting class she ever mastered.

PS. Did you know there is a (cancelled) television show called "10 Things I Hate About You", based on the exact same premise of the movie? Can't anyone come up with original ideas anymore? Remakes of movies, movies based on TV shows and now TV shows based on movies? Just try something different. Or make shows/movies that are based on great books. Those usually work well. (Dexter, True Blood, Harry Potter...). Oh, and please do not ever again create a show based on a Twitter account. Shit My Dad Says, is shit my dad won't even watch.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Fall into Fall

When I was teaching in Korea a couple of years ago, one of the units I taught to more than one class was "seasons and months". It was my job to come up with little activities and lessons related to the seasons, weather and months. One of these little projects was for the students to do an illustration of themselves enjoying their favourite season. It was a simple task and involved art, so naturally I would also complete the assignment as the students worked on theirs. It was then that I realized Fall is my favourite season. I like Fall/Autumn for a few different reasons.


1) The Fashion- I love sweaters and scarves. Don't even get me started on light jackets. <3
2) The Coolness- As much as I love summer, I dislike being too hot. I hate to sweat and feel sticky-icky. So the cool breezes of Fall feel great.
3) The Colours- Walking during Autumn is amazing. Yellows, Oranges and Reds naturally occuring and constantly changing.
4) Christmas Looming- As Fall comes to a close, the only thing on my mind is Christmas. The anticipation of the amazing holiday is usually better than the actual day itself.




Sunday, October 10, 2010

Thanks!

Thanksgiving again, but this year it's a bit more special because the date is 10/10/10!!! OMG!
Anyways.....Thanksgiving is a great holiday! Not only do we get to stuff our faces with turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie, but we also get to remind ourselves and each other of why we are thankful for everything in our lives.
I also like Thanksgiving because it's such a family holiday. It's a time to get together with your family and just enjoy each other's company. My family and I ate lots of yummy food, listened to music and played an interesting board game called "The Settlers of Catan". It was our first time playing and I was victorious! I'd recommend this game to anyone who likes a bit of strategy and a bit of luck. It takes awhile to get through the instructions, but once you get going the game is not too difficult. I think it will make another appearance at Christmas time.

So, on this day, here are the  top 10 things I am thankful for:
1) Family
2) Friends
3) Being a Canadian citizen
4) Health
5) My home
6) My dogs
7) Comedy
8) Education
9) Nature
10)Technology

I am thankful for so many more little things in everyday life, but that top ten list covers the major things that I am happy I don't have to live without.

Oh...and I am thankful that Michael and Kevin were not eliminated on The Amazing Race tonight! :)

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Get Over Yourself

I stumbled upon this interesting read (literally stumbled upon using the stumble upon tool bar in my web browser) and I really enjoyed it. I think we all need a reminder sometimes that we are our own worst enemy and others don't pay nearly as much attention to us as we think.
I am a naturally anxious person, particularly when it comes to social situations. I don't know if it is because I am an introvert and generally shy, or if it is more of a learned behaviour. However, in social situations, I am always worried about how others view me and when I commit any sort of faux pas, the worry increases exponentially. It's nice to have this article as a reminder to cut the crap and get over myself.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Job Interviews- Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda...

I recently had a job interview for a dream job opportunity. Oddly enough, I wasn't even very nervous going into the interview. I had prepped myself during the 2.5 hour car ride by repeatedly telling myself I was "good enough, smart enough and gosh darnit, people like me".
I went in with a smile on my face and only a few butterflies in my stomach. In general, I thought the interview went well. The 2 men interviewing me were very laid-back and relaxed. The interview lasted well over an hour and I felt a good rapport with them. I even left the place thinking that I might have a shot at getting the job.
However, my confidence progressively plummeted during the car ride home and over the next couple of days afterward. I was more nervous that night thinking at the possible outcome of the interview than I had been that morning going into the interview.  I kept ruminating about what I said during the interview and the answers I gave to certain questions. All I could think about was what I should have said and all of the better answers I had come up with after hours of thinking about each question I was asked.
Hindsight is always 20/20 and it's easy to think of great answers to certain questions when you have had hours to reflect on them. I can't help but wonder if the other candidates for this position were better, worse, or pretty much equal to me in terms of how the interview went. They said they were interviewing 5 people in total. I would guess that I am more likable/ qualified than half of my competition, so my most accurate guess at my chance of getting this job would be %33.33.
I'm anxiously awaiting the verdict from the men who interviewed me, but I have prepared myself for the worst. Of course, I am still trying to think positive, but I've decided to take a realistic approach and remind myself that I might have gotten the job and I might not have. Either way, I will survive.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Amazing Race

Sunday is family dinner night and as a result my family and I gather around to watch The Amazing Race together after dinner. This year we decided to make things more interesting by choosing which teams we think will win and putting $5 into the pot. Each of us has two teams picked and the eventual winner will take the $20 pot.
My first choice was Michael & Kevin, because let's face it, I love Asians. My second team is Chad & Stephanie, who I believe will do quite well if Chad gets his temper in order.

Mom's teams are: Nat & Kat, and Gary & Mallory.

Dad's teams are: Connor & Jonathan, and Katie & Rachel.

Mike's teams are: Brook & Claire, and Jill & Thomas

Also, if you missed last week's episode and the hilarious watermelon incident. Click here.
I am happy that she wasn't hurt and thus we can all laugh hysterically at this truly once in a lifetime incident.

Dexter is Back!

I finally got around to watching the season five premier episode of Dexter. After a very shocking and sad ending in season four, I was very excited to see where they would take season 5. The episode itself was a little bit slow, but I can see that they are setting things up to get interesting. I'm recording the second episode tonight and will watch it sometime this week. Hopefully things will pick up a bit more. On a side note; I still can't believe that Michael C. Hall (Dexter) and Jennifer Carpenter, who plays his sister on the series, are married.