Coco avant Chanel

This is a movie I rather enjoyed.
There are no thrills or suspense involved.
It is a biography of Gabrielle Chanel aka Coco, the famous French fashion designer who founded the famous fashion brand, Chanel. The early years of Chanel, from her birth till her set-up of first shop in Paris. Her love story with Arthur Capel aka Boy.

The movie was kept interesting by the witty conversations in the movie and the scenes of courage, intelligence and preserverance displayed by Gabrielle Chanel inside when she succeeded to continue staying in Balsan's house. I especially like the witty response (somewhat similar) made by Chanel in the movie, when asked about her age:-

Balsan: "How old are you?"
Chanel: "Depends on my mood. When I'm bored, I feel ancient"
Balsan: "How are are you now?"
Chanel: "1000 years old"

I admire the courage shown by Chanel inside. She dreamed of love and marriage too when she met Arthur Capel. But when reality sank in, she survived. She went ahead to pursue her dreams instead of conveniently accepting the marriage of proposal from Balsan. To her marriage is not a solution to her problems. She just wanted to work and not to live off man. She's a woman who defied conventions in her times, shown in her fashion and her success in her boutique.

The movie was further liven up by the charisma of the actors and actresses. I especially like the actor - Alessandro Nivola in his role of Arthur Capel. He really was the handsome rogue lover that most women will dream and desire.

This movie did not show Chanel's later years and her speculated involvement with a German officer. Whatever her involvement was, i believe it could not deny her of her due credits in her strength, intelligence and success in the fashion industry.

The Way I Read...

I always enjoy reading. Newspapers, novels, comics etc.
My favourite remains the romantic-suspense books. Meaning both romance and a couple of murders in it, with the murders being solved by clever sleuthing on the part of the hero and heroine.

In one of these books I read, I especially love the conversation between the hero and heroine it makes me realise I actually have much in common with the heroine...

Like her, I like to read romantic-suspense books.
Even though in real life the motivation for murder is a lot straightforward and majority of cases are solved because someone talks and not because of clever sleuthing. But this doesn't matter because like what she said "If I want real police work, I'll read the newspapers, not a book."

Like her, I tend to read the ending of the book before I commit to the whole book, because I read for the story and not the ending. I agree with her logic that " Life is too short to waste on books that end badly / unhappily ".
That perhaps could translate into my view of life too. Not sure if it's good or bad. But if I have a perception that certain things do not have a good ending or rather I'll be unhappy about, I will tend not to go through with it. Life is too short to be unhappy. But does this also indicate that I lack the courage and determination as I seem to take the easy way out?

Hmm... an issue indeed worth pondering... ??

My Favourite Show <<败犬女王>>

这部戏 <<败犬女王>> 感动了我.

年過三十, 單身的女強人是一隻人生的敗犬? 这部戏 以轻松感人的手法探讨了爱情和婚姻. 它有点像韓剧<<达子的春天>>.

我想故事要表达的是人生最重要的是过得充实, 追逐梦想.
原来平时不是时间过得很快, 而是我们的步伐太快了, 偶尔错过了美丽的事与物?

而没有结婚不代表是败犬. 毕竟爱情及结婚应凭感觉, 而不是条件.
因为没有感觉的爱情及婚姻真的会幸福吗?
我想是见仁见智吧.

但让我最感动的是男主角因了解女主角缺乏安全感,而为了她更加奋斗.
他以行动表示了对女主角的真诚, 爱意.
他是个让女人期待的完美情人...

Today....

Today is my birthday.
A day to celebrate as it's the anniversary of my birth.
A day my mum will believe an anniversary of her pain as she has to undergo the labour before I'm presented into the world. Nevertheless she's being convinced to keep celebrating for me year after year. haha...

Thanks to all who send me their best wishes...and thanks for the presents I received to date... hehe... the list as follows:

1) Ah Hua Bear (given together with Francis bear) from Jess, Gooi & Feng
2) Aaron Kwok concert ticket and birthday cake from Sis
3) Pink Coach wristlet (born in Tokyo), birthday ornament and flowers from 神秘人
4) Gem stone earrings from 贝儿 in HK
5) "Pearl" earrings from Cool-san in HK
6) Earrings from TML
7) Precious moments cup from Jeanne
8) "I love Fri" T-shirt and Pink Rainbow Care bear from Louisa
9) Wii games and set from Myself (as Babe as said... we need to reward ourselves with presents! )

and not forgeting the Birthday lunches and dinners....

Well another year has passed... and I've indeed stopped putting all the candles onto the cake and only 1 now (Have forgotten when I've started the habit haha). Hopefully I can stay young in the process? And maybe I have to slowly change my wardrobe and buy more mature clothings? =P

As I grew older I sometimes think what I have achieved in life because it seems that time passes very fast. I love travelling but it seems I've been stuck in HK and Japan in these 2 years! haha... maybe I need to explore beyond that soon. I remember I still have many fantastic places like Egypt, Spain, Greece, Mauritius, Tuscany in Italy, Scotland, England, Russia, Turkey, Australia etc that I've yet to explore.

Guess I need to work on this soon.... and on my dream. Maybe the no-pay leave of once a month could be a good start to the realisation of these.... and provided I still could finish my work in time! haha...

Confessions of a Shopaholic

A light-hearted comedy indeed. So many scenes that I had uncontrollable bursts of laughter.
I love the part when she used so many credit cards to pay for a shawl.
I love the part when she went to the hot dog stall to queue and request for cash back.
I love the part she hit her boss with the fan as she danced with him.
I love the part she went uncontrollable shopping and snatched the boots.

Of course I also felt sad when she saw the man she loved with another woman. There're touching moments naturally. Her life full of ups and downs. And in the end a happy ending naturally. If not, it'll leave many people disappointed. Including me. Though the cynical side of me also wondered if it will only happen in movies as it's too good to be true in real life.

I guess I love the show too because it somehow talks about something close to my heart. Something I could relate to. I'm not a shopaholic. But I do like to shop, especially when you realise there's bargains.

I can vividly remember my shopping in Osaka, Japan on the last day when I bought my favourite clothes and bag. Especially my bag. When I bought the bag, I was very excited and happy. It's as if you're the happiest person. Very satisfied. I guess to the extent when I used it on the plane back, and when the air steward nicely asked me to place it on the floor, I guess I must have shot daggers at him. My first thoughts were "How could he ask me to put my precious bag onto the floor? He must be crazy and ought to be scolded!" haha.. that's how irrational I was. A woman in love indeed. But not with a man then but with a bag. As such, I guess I could somehow felt how the leading actress felt then in the movie when she walked into the dazzling store and see all the wonderful shopping items being displayed.

I also felt a bit overwhelmed when I watched the show. I pondered and wondered. I guess maybe because of the fact the man resigned and set up his own company to realise his dream, standing on his own feet. I realised that I have yet to realise my dream too. Maybe I should start working to my dream too. And not keep writing in my new year resolution every year but no progress made.

Oh and I'm supposed to learn baking too... according to my best friends when we had a small chat at Mos Burger... haha as she had a dream... at her current mature age.. Oh on 5th April 2009 =) hehe.. anyway who knows we'll become a great baker next time... though I seriously wonder about my talent in this particular field... as I seriously lack patience.. hehe.. Anyone interested to be the guinea pig on my baking???

水果蓝

这一两天我阅读着<<水果蓝>>的漫画系列. 像一两年前阅读时一般, 我依然非常感动.
泪水依然不自觉便滑落.
记得笫一次见到它的动画片时, 我被它的台词感动了:

"雪溶化了会变成什么?"
答:"春天" (而不昰水)

就这样我开始阅读了这本少女漫画.
十二生肖与神的牵绊或诅咒.
故事人物的内心世界与爱情.
想爱又害怕.
因为他们不是正常人.
昰被十二生肖附身的人.
一跟异性拥抱就会变身为动物.
他们也不能违抗神的意思.
故事不但感人,又不忘搞笑.
因为再开心的人也有忧虑和他的秘密.
他们多了一份人性,并不完美.
所以我喜欢.

我喜欢的台词例:

1) 我喜欢你. 这点是坚定不移的亊实.

2) 如果在人生中, 能够连一步都不会踏错的话, 那不知道该有多好!
好是好啦, 但是.... 那是不可能的!
就算失败, 跌倒, 迷失, 走错路,
也只能够慢慢地, 一步一步地,
硬著头皮走下去.
靠自己的双脚, 就算遍体鳞伤...
也要祈祷...
祈祷终有一天会抵达某个地方...
祈祷终有一天会到达某个人的身旁.

3) 你希望有人呵护你.
希望有人注意到你.
希望有人需要你.
希望有人...
聆听你的心声.
了解你... 接受你...
希望有人... 爱你.
而我... 就是这样的人.

4) 你有恋童癖吗?
不是! 是你投胎得太慢...

5) 原来是因为寂寞啊...
我希望自己的视线...
能跟她相同.
即使只有一点点,
我也希望能了解她.
如果不能那样,
那我待在她身边就一点意义也没有.

Dedication of Song

Guess it's more than 10 years ago when I first heard this song sang in the musical production "Carousel" organised by my school. It was very touching and I love this song, be it the lyrics or tune.

Will like to specially dedicate this song to Babe....

"When you walk through a storm hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone!"

Babe, you'll never walk alone be it in the storm or rainbows.
As you'll always have friends like me who'll be with you sharing your joys and troubles.
Take care.