Extreme Paperwork

It’s an ordeal this time. I’m sure everyone has experienced the hassle of paperwork at any government departments. I know that and I detest it so much that I’m beginning to be frightened by it. The long queues in the wee hours of the morning, the rigid guidelines, the unfriendly staff and everything you name it, I have been there and done that.

 

Well, my point is not emphasising the weaknesses of the public services. It’s about my situation. I’m currently dealing with the renewal of my French carte de séjour and soon, the renewal of my Malaysian passport and in about a month’s time, my Singapore PR Re-Entry Permit. All is happening at the same time but with different governments.

 

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear….it’s stressful just thinking about them!

 

 

Weather and boots

It was snowing in Paris today and I was a little surprised. I haven’t seen snow in a big city until today. Luckily the snow didn’t stick around for too long. The melted away as soon as it hits the ground, which might be a good thing after all. Though I didn’t have my boots on, my feet remained dry throughout the walks. I learned that boots do not necessarily keep my feet warm and dry unless it has good thick soles. You could wear any shoes with a good sole, with a pair of leg warmers, and it would just make your day in a gloomy weather.

La Maison du Chat

I’m shouldn’t be surprised by how extensive consumerism could be nowadays. But I find the products made available for cats, a bit unnecessary. Not to mention how much it costs. I read that our furry friends actually don’t quite mind the look of their habitat. What counts most is the warmth and dryness of their “home”. My neighbour’s cat is contended when given a simple cardboard box and an old scarf and I don’t think she minds it at all as she makes herself comfortable on our balcony.

Wish List

As a child and as always, December is a month of festivities and celebrations. First my birthday, then Christmas. It’s a month of parties and dinners. As a child, I had the privilege of celebrating my birthday during our yearly family holiday. On top of that, December is a school holiday month in my hometown.

 

This is also the time I receive many presents for both occasions (‘cos I don’t accept 2-in-1 deal…hehe!). I really appreciate people around me who think about me and I also understand how agonising sometimes it can be trying to guess what the other person is wishing for. So this year I have decided to prepare to wish list (http://www.wishlistr.com/mengsun/) to make everyone’s shopping quick and easy. I know the horror of doing Christmas shopping at this time, with all the crowd and traffic jam. Have fun shopping!

 

J'IRAIS DORMIR A HOLLYWOOD

(sortie le 19 Novembre)

Nous avons eu l’opportunité d’assister en avant première à la projection de ce film, qui fut suivi d’une séance de questions/réponses avec le réalisateur, Antoine de Maximy.

Le principe est un peu le même que la série d’émissions TV du même Antoine de Maximy, « j’irais dormir chez vous », à savoir partir dans un pays, seul, sans préparation, équipé de 3 caméras, dans le but de rencontrer des gens et, si possible, d’être invité à dormir chez eux.

Le défi, ici, est de taille puisqu’il s’agit de traverser les USA, de New York à Los Angeles, avec, en guise de déssert, l’objectif de se faire inviter chez une star hollywoodienne.

Au-delà d’un road movie, somme toute hors norme, c’est surtout à une découverte des différentes composantes de la société américaine, souvent bien loin des clichés en vogue chez nous, que nous convie Antoine de Maximy.

L’humanité et la bonne humeur du personnage lui permettent des rencontres surprenantes, cocasses, parfois même un peu inquiétantes, mais qui ont le grand mérite de toujours être emplies d’une vraie sincérité.

Ce film, loin du simple documentaire, est une totale réussite qui mérite d’être vu par le plus grand nombre, à l’heure ou l’Amérique est sous le feu des projecteurs, tant pour l’espoir que suscite mondialement l’élection de Barack Obama, que pour son coté sombre du à son rôle dans la crise financière.

Enfin, le débat qui a suivi nous a permis de confirmer qu’Antoine de Maximy est un personnage attachant, comme le film ou la série TV le laissait supposer, et d’apprendre quelques petites anecdotes sur le voyage ou le tournage fort intéréssantes.

En résumé : COURREZ LE VOIR !

Cats & scents

I recently found that cats probably like the smell of argan oil. I used some to massage my foot last Sunday afternoon. Then the scent stayed on my palms the whole day. So when I went out in the evening, I ran into two stray cats at different occasions. On approaching the cat, I reached out my hand and it smelled my hand and seemed to like the scent. I knew that cats like and dislike certain scents and it didn’t surprise me that they like argan oil. But what really surprised me was when I read that cats like the smell of bleach!

Summer Action Movies

You probably already knew from our earlier posts that we are movie buffs and we like watching different genre of movies.

This summer, most of the movies that we saw were “action” or “adventure” movies.

Some are quite good while some others are just entertaining.

This a short review of these “summer specials”.

“The Mummy – tomb of the dragon emperor” staring Brendan Fraser and Jet Li, is quite fun and based on some historical points, like the real tomb of the first emperor and its buried army.

“Wanted”, with Angelina Jolie, James Mac Avoy and Morgan Freeman is the story of a fraternity of assassins, with a lot of action. It’s so unreal that it becomes finally very funny.

“The incredible Hulk”, with Edward Norton, Tim Roth, Liv Tyler and William Hurt is probably the best “Hulk” film ever made. Special effects are really impressive and the characters, especially Dr Banner, are quite intense.

“The dark knight”, the latest Batman, with Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman.

A great movie, 3 years after “Batman begins”, Christin Bale is back in Gotham city.

This episode is probably the darkest one; the main characters (Batman, the Joker, and Harvey Dent) are particularly interesting. It’s probably the masterpiece of this summer.

“In Bruges (bons baisers de Bruges)”, with Colin Farrel, Ralph Fiennes and Brendan Gleeson. It’s a totally crazy movie, where two “hit men” are sent by their boss in the wonderful city of Bruges, in Belgium, after a disaster in their previous contract. Collin Farrel is absolutely incredible, very funny, and the city is really a part of the story.

We also particularly liked this one.