Fall '09 Begins

I'm back in Provo! Hoo-ray! I love routines and all and having Vay-noos back and doing my grocery shopping is nice. What is not nice is having a mild cold that could turn deadly at any moment. My new roommates are all sophomores and seem like sweethearts. They are amenable to a pre-semester roommate agreement of sorts to get the logistics of living together figured out before there are problems. I have my new laptop. I call it Big Blue in my head b/c it is blue. I like it/her/him. I'm listening to my Bollywood playlist for the first time in a while. The Music and Dance Library where I get my Bollywood DVDs was closed when I went tonight to get something nice to entertain myself w/. I bought three of many books I need. One for each make up, costume history and my writing class. My costume history book is perhaps one of the most beautiful I've ever owned, although my Taschen editions of FASHION are almost too ballin' to surpass. I started reading my writing book b/c I know we'll have reading assignments I won't be interested in or have enough time to read later. Church starts at 12.20. It's backwards. I've never decided on my opinion of backwards church schedules. I bought the fixings for stroganoff, baked potatoes and burritos. Any ideas for other meals w/ minimal ingredients? I also bought an ironing board, hoo-ray! I should make an entry of semester goals so they're more concrete.

That was long paragraph a/b a lot of random stuff. That's what I get for writing after reading T Starr's newest entry. Mine's not as funny.

I'm in Payson for the night, then on to Provo tomorrow! UG! I have SO much to do! I looked over my German syllabus tonight, scary. I have to resubmit my health insurance stuff so I don't get charged for the crappy student coverage. I have to figure out how to get one of my Doctor Who Club officers to a mandatory meeting, then attend another meeting so I can actually get the info which will be hard b/c Taffetas starts on Thursday, which I why I can't go to the meeting in the first place. I have to move in, set up my laptop, buy books and groceries tomorrow. UG! And I got an email about the textile dying class being taught by a big USF guy. I have to devote a whole Friday and Saturday to this thing if I want credit, which I do...but um hello, I have other classes on Fridays! UG! College is crazy. And it keeps going faster and faster!

I'm in Boise for another week, then get into UT on Friday, and into Provo on Saturday. I'm excited to get going again with school. I'm a little frightened of my German class. Last year my professor gave us an A as long as we tried hard. I tried, but probably would have gotten a C if Mr. Prof. hadn't been so kind. This year in 202 I'll have a different professor, who I'd guess will grade me based on my actual skill with the German language. I'm excited to actually learn German for real though. I've had 5 years so far, you'd think I'd be pretty good at it by now...but I'm not really a study-er. However, since I've been teaching myself Hindi I've developed some pretty handy language studying skills. I really would love to be bilingual, or trilingual, so let's work hard at it shall we? Maybe I'll blog in German eventually, just for practice, and so my German fluent sister can laugh and cry over my horrible grammar. I know I can do well. Heck, I got an A in pattern making last semester which I thought was impossible. Same with advanced construction, writings of Isaiah was a different story...

I'm planning on really delving into my major this next semester. Not that I haven't been. I spend every extra moment I can researching and such, but I'd really like to continue sewing projects, namely Indian costume projects, while I continue my other studies. This could be difficult b/c of the German and all, but I want to get really good at patterning and construction. I also have my own design I want to get ahead with. I designed an Indian inspired wedding dress I might even try to drape before the Holidays.

Anyway, brain dump. That was nice. It's been over a week and a half since I watched any Bollywood and much longer since I saw anything new, but hopefully I can reassemble the Bollywood Posse once I'm back in Provo. The BYU library has a pretty great collection of Hindi films. If only I could get a hold of Lagaan....it's always checked out!!!

In Limbo and loving it!

Ah life. I am no longer in Nebraska. I plan to be away for awhile. School starts in little over a week. After Fall and Winter I'll go to London for Spring, hopefully stay in Europe to work on a film for the rest of the summer, then finish up my Senior year. Right now I'm in the glorious limbo of Boise, ID. I'm visiting and helping out a dear friend and haven't been on the Internet for 4 days! It's really been wonderful actually. I've read a lot and kept busy and all w/o the Internet.

I read Austenland by Shannon Hale. A woman obsessed w/ the idea of Mr. Darcy inherits a 3 week vacation to an Austen retreat that promises love and adventure. At times I thought the author tried too hard (using words like "diction" when "choice of words" would have done just fine), and reading the reviews I thought it wasn't all THAT funny, but it was enjoyable. The character was all too real (watching Colin Firth over and over) and actually likable, although I get in a huff when authors/characters try to use Austenian language/manners and really have no idea. Not that I do, except for I used to/am a complete Anglophile, but come on, not a corset, STAYS, and blah blah, modern girl hates to wear a dress. Of course I always think I could do better in the past than characters that get a chance to. Which makes me sound insane. Anyway, it was fun and worthwhile. Oh!! and it badmouthed Northanger Abbey, EVERYONE badmouths NA, it's a GOOD book. Super clever if not abruptly ended. Henry's a peach and Catherine doesn't deserve him, but HELLO, that's every romance ever. The other Austen references were appreciated though.

I'm now reading a Robin McKinnley dragon novel. I read one in middle school. This is of course another one w/ a ravishingly beautiful tom boy that can slay dragons. I'm sick of tom boy stories, but oh well. This one is keeping me entertained.

My Netflix account is on hold, so no Bollywood recently, but my friend and I have plans to watch RNBDJ on a very LARGE scale. I'm ueber excited.

Project Runway's new season premiered on Lifetime tonight! Basic Cable yay! I watched it with aforementioned friend. I haven't watched it since I actually took pattern making and advanced construction classes. While I could do what they are it wouldn't be too great, just yet.

SRK detained at airport.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/15/indian.actor/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

How ridiculous is this? Shah Rukh Khan was detained in Newark for 2 hours because his name was flagged as being similar to one on the airport's computer. Officals insisted on getting numbers of people in America to vouch for Kahn even though other travellers in the airport recognized him. In the end he called some politician in India. Ridiculous. I understand that procedure needed to be followed and I'm grateful that it is, better safe than sorry and all that, but really? This man is an international superstar and it took them 2 hours to confirm who he was? Oh America... This is also pretty ironic because his new movie that's being released in Feb '10 sometime is about an Islamic man in post 9/11 America. The film's title is "My Name is Khan". Hahah.

I still have yet to even begin cleaning my room or packing...my flight goes out at 2 or something tom. Hopefully I won't be detained b/c who knows how long it'd take for me to get off the hook if it took one of the most, if not the most recognizable man in the world 2 hours to be released.

camping

Can I just point out that the newest entry of Stuff White People Like is basically my last entry about camping? Camping is ridiculous and I'm glad that I am not white in this respect.

On other topics, I head to Boise on Sunday. I am far from ready i.e. my luggage is not packed nor is my room ready for my 2 year absence, but I'm very ready to see my dear newly Idahoian friends and be that much closer to being back in P-town.

I live a very sedentary lifestyle and am almost convinced that if I worked out more, say started running at night again, I'd have more energy during the day. As it is I can take a nap anytime, anywhere. When I really have nothing to do this is bad b/c I usually will take a nap and the my day is just wasted, as opposed to me watching HGTV all day, which is so much more productive.

Spreading the Bollywood Love

I watched Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi for about the fifth time tonight with some of my dearest and oldest friends. For all but one it was their first Bollywood experience. I LOVE showing people Hindi movies for the first time and I think this is a great one to do it with. There are obvious, glaring and unavoidable lapses in plot and character judgement, but I just can't get over how fantastic Suri is. After taking acting I can mos def appreciate the paradoxes and ridiculous amount of emoting that goes with playing both Suri and Raj. Mad props SRK. And who doesn't love Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte? I watched Om Shanti Om w/ Sarah last night for about the 6th or 7th time. Again, plot holes and deficiencies, but how can you not love Dhoom Taana and Dard-e-Disco? Or Akshay Kumar w/ a gun in his pants? Just fun times. I think I'll write an entry for my other blog about the amazing costume transformations in RNBDJ and OSO w/ Suri/Raj and Om/OK.

BW: Side By Side 2

Kareena Kapoor & Paris Hilton

Zayed Khan & Keanu Reeves

Om Shanti Om was the second Hindi film I saw, Krrish being the first. As you can imagine the Deewangi number was way over my head. I saw OSO w/ dear Genevieve and because we didn't recognize the cameos we assigned the Indian celebrities Hollywood counterparts or doppelgangers if you will. The matches are made on appearance and first impression personas. It's pretty fun actually. The previous Abhishek/Sacha Baron Cohen comparison was courtesy of Sarah. After watching Jhoom Barabar Jhoom the comparison between Rikki and Cohen's Ali G was a no brainer, or at least the very least hilarious.

Don't worry, I have more. And once Genevieve and I are back together I'm sure the comparisons will be epic.

A Side by Side For Sarah

Abhishek Bachchan & Sacha Baron Cohen

Rikki & Ali G

BW: Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Bollywood lessons learned

Imagine if you can a movie fueled by a 60 year old subway performer that reminds you of a black plague quack and a gypsy. That is Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. After Big B opens this acid trip of a movie with a rousing subway performance on his double necked guitar we meet Rikki (Abhishek) and Alvira (Preity) who are both waiting for their fiances to come on the Birmingham train. While waiting they recount their respective love stories. Rikki is engaged to Anaida (Lara Dutta), the sexy assistant manager of the Paris Ritz. She's Pakistani w/ an amazingly horrible French Hindi accent and a femme fetale purple bob. Meanwhile Alvira made a pact with God not to marry an Indian or Pakistani (which she is) but settles for orange haired Steve (Bobby Deol), who's half British half Punjabi, when he saves her from a falling Superman figure at Madam Tussuad's. Of course during the telling of these stories Rikki learns some Urdu, Alvira's cold exterior begins t melt and they fall in love. Whatever will they do?

This movie was a lot of fun. The stories were over the top and the songs were catchy and colorful. The look of the movie overall was fantastic, the lighting and costuming especially so. The characters were lovable (esp. Rikki's boss Huffy Bhai) and the actors seemed to have the time of their lives playing them. And let's not forget Big B w/ the feather in his cap popping up for musical interludes. Priety of course has the shrill, standoffish heroine down to a T. Abhishek is tacky, uncouth, but adorable (sounds like Dostana!). Lara Dutta is stunning, Bobby Deol doesn't float my boat, but he did well in his role. This movie knows it's ridiculous and you love it the more b/c of that.

And now, After 4 months and 35 films, here are some things I've learned from watching Hindi Films
Aas: Don't trust people w/ lazy eyes
Bhoothnath: If you send your child away to college it will lead to your death.
Chak De! India: Don't make Indian hockey fans mad
Chalte Chalte: Date before you get married
Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan: Marry someone before you give them your child
Deewana: even if you're super annoying you can still marry Rishi Kapoor and SRK
Dev: Don't live in Mumbai
Devdas: Madhuri Dixit+Aishwarya Rai+dancing=gold
Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke: A Walk in the Clouds is better in Hindi, and Abhishek slaughters Keanu Reeves any day.
Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: Just be as Hindustani as you can be
Don '06: Kill the bad guy when you have the chance
Don '78: Make sure the only guy who knows your identity doesn't die
Dostana: If your script is tacky and offensive, at least make sure your actors are attractive
Fanaa: Don't let your blind daughter out of your sight
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom: Don't talk to strangers
Jodhaa Akbar: Be careful where wet nurses are concerned
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna: Just don't be horrible
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham : Say what you mean
Kal Ho Naa Ho: The heroine never deserves the hero
Koi...Mil Gaya: Who needs Flubber to play basketball?
Koyla: Proves, like Dewaana, that you should really make sure they're dead, and that Amrish Puri is one scary dude
Krrish: MacDonald's shoes are the chosen footwear of Hindi superheroes
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: SRK can cry 1001 different ways
Love Aaj Kal: When in doubt, listen to the Sikh
Luck By Chance: When in doubt, listen to SRK
Main Hoon Na: Learn to recognize people's eyes
Mohabbatein: If Harry Potter were Indian, he'd teach music at a prep school
Om Shanti Om: There's nothing worse than the pain of disco
Pardes: Americans will always try to rape you.
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani: SRK+diamond stud= me barfing
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi: Punjab's my favorite
Salaam Namaste: Abstinence is the only fool proof method
Shakti: The Power: Stay in Canada
Swades: We The People: NASA scientists can't do math
U Me Aur Hum: Kajol is a powerhouse of talent
Veer-Zaara: Indians and Pakistanis are the SAME thing!

And when in doubt, mesh shirts are always a go and you should probably cast Anupam Kher.

BW: Love Aaj Kal

First: can I tell you how much fun it was to see this movie? Just out in India on July 31st, my Nepalese friend from Omaha let me know that it was going to be shown in an Omaha theatre this weekend! He works for an Indian grocery and his boss apparently buys the rights to have two showings of an Indian movie once a month. So of course I was so excited to go b/c I'd read a review of this film already, and my mom's Indian doctor friend told me (when she had him call me from the hospital to talk movies...) that this is the big blockbuster in India right now! Another man at the theatre said his sister just got back from India two days ago and there it is sold out. At this dollar theatre in Omaha there was a 7 and 9 o'clock showing. Well, of course the 7 ran late so there were scads of Indians and Nepalese and who knows whom else lined up inside this theatre waiting for the film. Both showings were sold out! and my friend and I stood for the first half, after which my friend's super nice boss found me a seat and I watched the rest in a chair. What fun!

So, Saif Ali Khan plays Jai, a modern day Indian living in London who dreams of working for Golden Gate Inc. in San Fran. Deepika Padukone (of Om Shanti Om fame) plays Meera, a fresco restorer, also living in London who dreams of restoring Indian monuments. The beginning of the film is shot after shot of these two getting together and their subsequent relationship. The movie really gets going when they decide to break up after Meera gets her big break and heads back to India. They part with a party and all is well until Rishi Kapoor, playing lovable Sardar Veer Singh (is it just me, or is that a super popular Northern name?), enters in ballin' turbans to recount his own love story with Harleen to Jai. These stories, one in 1965 Delhi, and the other in present day London/Delhi/San Fran, are told side by side for the rest of the movie. Basically we see how love was done in the olden days, and how it's handled now.

I must say I didn't really know what to think of this one at first b/c the main romantic leads are broken up from the get go, but the more I think about it the more I like it. It's a real story a/b people who think they're doing their best, but really have no idea what they're doing. And I've noticed something! I like a lot of Bollywood heroines, whereas Kathleen Kelly from You've Got Mail is about the only Western heroine I can stand. Don't get me wrong, Elizabeth Bennet is great, but most heroines are completely flawed and annoying (I could go into the real reason for this, but I'll spare you for now). Anyway, I loved Meera. She was real, and thoughtful and goal oriented and handled her mistakes v. well. I also loved Shanti and Sandy and Anjali (both) and this is really a break through in cinema. How did I not realize that Bollywood has had the "unlikable heroine" code cracked for so long? Don't get me wrong, I can't stand most of Aishwarya Rai's characters, and don't get me started on Rani, but there are multiple heroines I'm absolutely in love with.

Anydoctorwho, great movie. The songs were so-so. Some really had no motivation, but meh, it's Hindi cinema right? Saif did a good job as both characters (he played young Veer as well) and Deepika was a easy to relate to kind of crazy beautiful. Harleen, played by a Brazilian model, was a gem. Not your average epic romance, or your "normal" romance this film presented a nice angle to a classic genre.

Lesson Learned: They always said Delhi, or Dilli (cute pun, and actual local name of Delhi) and never New Delhi, so of course I wikied the terms. Turns out New Delhi is India's capital, which is a part of the larger Delhi metro. It's technically in its own territory (like D.C. I'd imagine) but is basically in the state next to Punjab (which is quickly becoming my favorite).

P.S. The front of that train says "Raj" but I couldn't ever get a good enough look at the second word during the film to read it.

Happy 4 month Bollywood Anniversary to me! I saw Krrish on April 7th, and since then have seen 34 Hindi films, have taught myself the Hindi alphabet and can say basic introductory things, not to mention the short phrases I recognize from the films.

5 Things

a) What's the point of camping? I camped last night and it was so windy the tent wall was on top of me the whole time from blowing in so hard, the noise was ridiculous and it's HOT. I'm not a wimp, I've camped in worse: tornadoes, much hotter weather, floods, you name it, but seriously? What's the point even if there is nice weather? You may say "Oh, camping in the winter, or in the mountains is great b/c you get all cozy at night". Fine whatever, but I still say civilization has worked hard so I don't have to rely on packable bedding and shelter. I love camp fires, camp songs and camp stories, but camping is ridiculous.

2)I'm going up to Omaha tonight to see Love Aaj Kal (just opened last weekend in India!) w/ my new friend Rohit. He says there are subtitles, let's hope so.

iii)I can write and read Hindi, very slowly, but I can't speak it. I can say the basics, Mai Shelby hu and so forth but I hate to study vocab which is very important. I will work on this, as I will my German so I can have fun in Berlin when I work on the Don 2 set.

Vier)If you have any Bollywood connections that could get me on the Don 2 set next summer let me know :)

5) I'm exhausted from a night on the ground listening to the wind whip around our tent. I'll force my sons to go to scout camp, but if my girls don't want to go to girls' camp I'm not forcing them, unless we live in CA or some other place other than Nebraska by then. In that case I'll pull the whole "when I was your age it was either 115 degrees with 80% humidity or we had tornadoes"

BW: Salaam Namaste

Blech. Ambar (Preity Zinta) and Nick (Saif Ali Khan), hip young Indians living in Melbourne, start a radio feud after superstar chef Nick is late for a radio interview w/ popular DJ Ambar. They meet at a wedding and fall in love, not knowing each other's real identities. Of course they get over this when they do and decide to move in together to give each other a shot. Young and fancy-free-idness comes crashing down when Ambar discovers she's pregnant before intermission.

Blech!! Two characters who live only for themselves decide to live for each other w/ disastrous results. What can be expected when the intros to both characters include how they both moved to Melbourne to please themselves b/c they didn't care for what their families thought. It's one thing to think differently about your future, but I didn't feel bad that neither had relations with their families, and neither it seems did they. Ambar, the DJ/med student gets by w/ help from her push-over nice guy best friend. Nick's best friend meanwhile rushed into marriage and this sets the theme of "marriage is a ball and chain and all you do is fight". Basically a case study of how loose morals, selfishness and the wrong idea of what marriage is totally ruins "perfectly good" lives, and how a lifetime of selfishness is forgotten b/c a baby smiles at you. Not even Baby B as the incompetent OBGYN could save this stinker. Was anyone else completely disgusted by the birth scene? and not for the gutsy/gory reasons?
Boat Floater (singular)
The landlord was a fabulous Indian turned Crocodile Dundee w/ AMAZING English skillz.
Point of Interest: Preity's VERY nimble for a woman 8 months pregnant w/ twins, who's belly seemed to explode from day one then stay the same size until birth.

BW: Bhoothnath

Bhoothnath (Amitabh Bachchan) is a ghost that haunts the house Banku and his Mother (Juhi Chawla) occupy in Goa while the father (SRK, special appearance) is away being a cruise liner captain or something. Banku is a mischevious prankster that befriends Bhoothnath.
Family fun for all! This movie was adorable and I laughed out loud multiple times. The music, including a street gang/American football/ rockstar showdown on the playground and Big B and young Aman Siddiqui as Banku in blacksuits with swelt models was upbeat and catchy. Juhi was great and SRK's appearances were delightful. I enjoy him when he plays his real age with kids. Afterall, the guy's 43. Not that he can't play younger, but he's starting to stretch it. Suri single at that age makes sense, but lovable Aman in Kal Ho Naa Ho is a no go. Anyway...
Boat Floaters
-Big B's makup, obviously make up of course, but well done in a way that made him scary, w/o being too scaryor cartoony.
-Juhi's salwars and churidars and kameezes.
-SRK, b/c you know I'm a sucker for him.
-The BEAUTIFUL house with the grey wooden floors.
-Banku was so chubby and cute you just wanted to eat him up.
-Casper only better.
NonBoat Floaters
-Big B's costumes weren't always adjusted for his lopsided-ness (one seersucker blazer sticks out in my mind). You can tell his signature ghost look was made for him, but probably had multiple copies of the same jacket. For some reason it seems that some were altered and others weren't. I can sure tell when Manish Malhotra costumes Big Bachchan (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna); he alters everything.
-The switch back and forth from western to Indian costumes on Juhi. At first I was like "oh, she's a western girl" then the rest of the movie she was in kameezes, and then BAM, she'd be in her gypsy skirt and low belt again. And it wasn't even an "at home/at school" thing.
-SRK w/ a pony tail, BLECH. I have a feeling this was for another movie he was filming at the time, but there's no excuse. He needs to leave the mullet w/ Koyla.
-Banku lost a front tooth and they didn't bother w/ continuity at all. Marta in The Sound Of Music lost a front tooth during filming, they made her a cap.
-They didn't define what a ghost could and couldn't do v. well. Sometimes Bhoothnath was tactile and solid, other times he had to disappear and reappear to get places, other times he could step through the walls, but had to step over the bottom of the front gate only to walk through the rest. Normally I wouldn't mention it, but make up your mind. And where did he get his wardrobe?
-Why was there the sound of crackling, hot burning coals when the ghost was around? There was nothing demonic or devilish really about him. Even when he was nice and made his presense known to the dad you heard this. Didn't make sense to me, super cool, but didn't make sense.

Made just for him, I'm sure, although those tutus are a disaster.

Altered for his sloping left shoulder and square right shoulder. Minimal wrinkles.

Most likely NOT altered. Note the slack wrinkles under his left arm, and the stress wrinkle from the button to his right shoulder.

Thing of Interest: Amitabh Bachchan has some of the narrowest feet I've ever seen. Check out "Ain't Nobody Does it Better" from this movie, or "Shava Shava" from K3G.

Fall Classes!

Anjali inspired me:

My Fall '09 Classes (which I'm v. excited for)
Writing a/b Art & Humanities--->it fulfills one of my last requirements and I'm excited to learn how to sound more inteligent in print
German 202--->fulfill's 2 of my last requirements. If Iwork hard maybe I will actually learn to speak German this semester. I predict a lot of work.
Healthy Living--->health class online, requirement
The Doctrine & Covenants 1st half----> 2nd to last religion requirement
Makeup 1---> my grad student friend is the teacher, I'm excited
History of Costume--->w/ Mary, costume historian extrordinair, with whom I worked this spring and my friend Lando as the TA
Theatre 360--->working backstage on the Tafettas as a dresser (don't worry, I picked the easiest show for myself) requirement
Possible textile dying project for credit at the beginning

Tee hee, my winter semester looks like it's shaping into mostly theatre credits. I'm going for Survey of World Religions, Dramatic Lit 2, Makeup 2, Costume Design 3, Design Project, Study Abroad prep class and Eastern Costume History. So busy b/c of my design project, but so much fun!

The Gospel Basics

I went out to dinner w/ the Sisters today, then taught a lesson at the Institute. This is much better than going to Institute in my opinion b/c Institute covers hefty materials and in depth scripture that I learned thoroughly in my religion classes at BYU, however Lincoln Nebraska's University Ward Institute is nowhere near as thorough. This leads to my very well researched and memorized "BYU answers" getting shot down as thinking past the mark. I'm told that "yes, that's right, but you're thinking a little too far". Whatever, that answer is backed by three general conference talks. Anyway, I've come to realize that my brain is now full of the in depth BYU answers, that aren't bad, but I'm starting to run past the basics on my way to answers. Teaching with the Sisters is great because they teach so basically that I'm forced to think about it that way. We went over the basic Gospel of Jesus Christ tonight and it was kind of fun to actually think of it step by step instead of just spewing what I've been forced to memorize for some test or other. I don't disparage BYU religion courses, they're fantastic, and I don't disparage Institute classes in general, I'm just learning that they aren't equivalent and that in the end a good discussion with the Sisters is worth a whole lot. I can't forget how to analyze and apply the basics in my quest to get a good test score.

Glossary:
Institute (of Religion): A building or, religion courses offered during the week to mostly college age kids (for free), in place of a religion classes one would take for actual credit if they were to go to a Church school (like me)
Sisters: the female missionaries that devote 18 months to teaching and converting people to the Gospel.
General Conference: bi-annual worldwide conference broadcast from Salt Lake City to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where general authorities give talks about churchy issues.