YEP! he is the guy chef we watch in "No Reservations" on cable. Like the rest of those who LOVE him, I am taken with his humor, wittiness and adventurous palate. I especially enjoyed his episodes in Asia, visiting Thailand, Vietnam, etc. Enough about the T.V. show --- let's get down to business that is "book" business. This is not his first book, I have yet to get my hands on "Kitchen Confidential", his initial break with the written words. I have seen it in one of the many many shelves of National Bookstore....but the price is not that friendly -- you know me (being the cheapskate that I am!), would always prefer a bargain! So when I saw that Gone Bamboo is now on sale, from 200p I bought it for 30p how's that for a bargain! The book still in mint condition-- love the quality of paper they used, the print is reader friendly and the story.......enjoyable but BITIN! I have a funny feeling that the main characters Henry and Frances are of course Anthony and his wife. Henry described as "around 6 foot four, thin, and deeply tanned. He looked mid to late forties...the gold hoop earring in his left ear flash unnaturally bright." When I read this, I remember an episode of No Reservations, him with a hoop earring! I warmed up to the story because of the "mafia" theme in it. The main characters are successful professional hitmen on retirement (i think). The blotched "kill" assignment he had once came to disrupt his seemingly peaceful retirement in their Caribbean hideaway. He have to make peace with the mafia boss he almost killed and face up with the "hit" coming to him for the job he did not performed successfully. Sex, blood and a lot of alcohol --- still a FUN easy read for me. He also have another "gangster" theme fiction in "BOBBY GOLD Stories"...together with his "Kitchen Confidential" hope to get a hold of these babies a.s.a.p.
by J. Madison Davis
Obviously it was the Alfred Hitchcock name in the title that got me! and the quality of paper used...(I know i am a sucker for paper quality). I took a big chance with this book. I do not know who Madison Davis is, but since it is a detective story --- i thought i 'll gamble. and luckily I WON! This is a good find. The story is simple --- Mr. H (hitchcock) plays a vital role, since he was the one who hired Detective Slattery to investigate a murder. Slattery i find a little sloppy in his moves and Mr. H maybe exactly as he is in real life. I was enthralled with the late 50s Hollywood set up, the wannabe stars, the secrets of the real stars, the club scene, the bouncers - bodyguards and the gruesome kills! Davis is really good with the gory scenes. The problem with me, someone who have devoured a LOT of mystery- suspense "whodunit" reads --- is that I developed a knack in knowing how it will all end or WHO the culprit/ killer is --that is before I even reached the last 3 chapters of the book. And this book is no exception. But still Thumbs Up to Davis for the easy read.
This is one heavy reading --- not that it is hard to understand or that it is too deep. I say "heavy" because i find it really personal, as they say it is a (semi) autobiography of the author. It is 607page reading, my copy is Penguin published, really small fine print, yellowing paper --- and i love it! I have read a Maugham before, by accident i think, a collection of his short stories during college. The author's name stucked. She was GOOD. I did not even look up if she's a she or a he. Maugham for me sounded feminine. And then we cross path again...and my good view of HIS writing increased even more. From the Foreword "Of Human Bondage is not an autobiography, but an autobiographical novel; fact and fiction are inextricably mingled; the emotions are my own, but not all the incidents are related as they happened, and some of them are transferred to my hero not from my own life but from that of persons with whom I am intimate." Most of the troubles and worries the heroine encounters proved to be realistic, and the constant wondering and listlessness of the mind and soul are genuine and real. These emotions cannot be NOT personal.
Three of the many passages that hit me!- from page 208, Cronshaw: "But pray tell me what is the meaning of life?", Philip: "I say that's a rather a difficult question. Won't you give the answer yourself?" Cronshaw: "No, because it's worthless unless you yourself discover it, but what do you suppose you are in the world for?", Philip: "Oh, I don't know, I suppose to do one's duty, and make the best possible use of one's facilities, and avoid hurting other people."
From page 209, Philip: "Have you ever done anything you regret?", Cronshaw: "How can I regret when what I did was inevitable?", Philip: "But that's fatalism." , Cronshaw: "The illusion which man has that his will is free is so deeply rooted that I am ready to accept it. I act as though I were a free agent. But when an action is performed it is clear that all the forces of the universe from all eternity conspired to cause it, and nothing I could do could have prevented it. It was inevitable. If it was good I can claim no merit; if it was bad I can accept no censure."
Last but not the least-- from page 604, Everyone has some defect, of body or of mind; he thought of all the people he had known, he saw a long procession, deformed in body and warped in mind, some with illness of the flesh, weak hearts or weak lungs, and some with the illness of the spirit, languor of will, or a craving for liquor. At this moment he could feel a holy compassion for them all. They were the helpless instruments of blind chance...They could not help themselves. The only reasonable thing was to accept the good of men and be patient with their faults. The word of the dying God crossed his memory: Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
These books I've read late last year or early this year...I am such a sucker for a good, easy, pleasurable read! The first 2 books are my category for EASY, FUN and the last one is obviously my category for CLASSIC BEST. Even in reading, balance is essential. Between the internet and printed words: i am ALWAYS prefer the latter. Currently I am juggling Dorothy L. Sayers "Lord Peter Wimsey", Ellis Peters "Flight of a Witch" and Jackie Collins "Hollywood Wives". For my Category CLASSIC, I have Edith Wharton "Summer" on reserved.
Thank GOD for bookSale!!
gUiLt sTrIcKen
i have to sleep. i did not get enough sleep.
my eyes are tired but my mind is listless
i have worries, a lot of them are trivial
i do not worry about you no more
i know you are in a better place than me
you are still here i can feel you still
can you see me from there?
please forgive me i have let you down
please guide me so i can made it up to you
can you smile for me?
so i can be sure you heard me
i need to forgive myself soon
i won't be able to start living my life
knowing in my heart
i have pained you
how can i forgive me?
how can i forgive myself?
please tell me.
i am at lost. for words. words of weight. words of reality. so i will try to sort my jumbled feelings and thoughts in these simple phrases.
i made plans for us today, next week, this month
i am looking forward to your smile, seeing your smile makes me happy
i can see that moment in my mind clearly yesterday
i was going to make up for my blunders and tardiness
seeing you again will ease away this guilt
why did you not wait? it was my fault i know
i have been wiping the tears, heavy tears of regret and sorrow
the what ifs makes me really angry, i want to shout
i do not care what others will say
they can't hurt me anymore
no pain is as great as what you've left me
please remember you have been loved
and right now you are being grieved
this pain, sorrow, guilt will be my strength
and this is how i am going to end this.
Jose Eduardo M. Chua Jr.
May 24, 1948
May 15, 2010
my father - who made me happy, sometimes angry ; who made me who i am.
THE CAKE EATERSFirst, I like the title....although from the cover I know it got nothing to do with Eating cake!
This is a relatively small budgeted film done by no other than Mary Stuart Masterson! Rings a bell? We know her from "Fried Green Tomatoes" (shame on you- if you've not seen that) how about "Law & Order - Special Victims Unit"? OK.....this you better know: "Some Kind of Wonderful" 80's classic romantic flick! With her tomboy short hair....BASTA!
Second, I got curious bcoz I saw Kristen Stewart's name on it....(paging Twilight fanatics..)
I watched Twilight and I have to say I second the motioned Stephen King's comment on Stephenie Meyer's writing skill "she can't write worth a darn!" the movie was also cheeesy!
Although I love the cinamatography---characters and acting and the script ofcourse are just LAME. Ok Ok getting back to the CAKE Eaters...
I saw KS in a different light -- she is a terminally ill teener who wants to experience life before her time runs out. I have a schoolmate back in Elementary who suffers from the same illness....one of her leg is shorter (i think) and she needed support to be able to walk. Let's call my schoolmate JQ, at that time her elder sis stays with her at school, she was one tough girl, i mean she bullies us! I saw KS in the movie & I see JQ in our school cafeteria lording her sister, her friends....and just now I found out through the movie that people with that illness may not live long....I wish JQ fulfilled her dream of finishing college, maybe having a BF....being kissed, having sex!! Coz that's what KS did try having & doing in the film.
Against her protective mom & grandma's wishes she seduced, i mean SEDUCED a normal guy -- well not exactly normal , cute weird maybe. And I think she eventually fell in love with the guy....(called Beagle) :-p Although the guy was actually already in love with her from the start ---- she realized that this guy really care for her. Aside form the 2 loveydoveys -- theres also Grandma & Beagle's pop affair, Beagles' big bros hang ups and the sleepy town's going ons.
I love the setting, the easy script, the unusual family set up and the actors.
KS did this film in 2007 way before Twilight. BTW there is something about the films I like and their titles...remember 7 Pounds? hehehe and Cake Eaters....I like weird titles.hmmmm
Next stop --"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I do adore Pitt & Blanchett.
Let's see if it continues with this movie...For starters, I didn't have the pleasure of reading the book, but The Great Gatsby-- I've read. They are ofcourse both written by F. Scot Fitzgerald. Interest sparked in the beginning...a baby born wrinkley, with athritis..heart condition, like an 80 year old man --- lives each passing year looking younger and younger -- who wouldn't be caught with that kind of plot...what will happen to him? The narration as a whole is slow and leisurely, like the character of the man himself. There was an element of innocence and freshness in the scenes that reminds me of Forrest Gump. Admittedly, this was not a award winning piece for both of them.. not that they acted shabby. Their characters are just too squared -- i will not say the same with the script -- i like how the supporting characters made the story REAL for the two leads. And i love the new orleans "twang" -- Pitt & Blanchett are both beautiful in this movie but i felt they had no on-cam chemistry. They glowed individually but not together --- but still it was a REALLY GOOD watching experience as a whole. Will read the printed version soon.
To continue with my "JOY Inventory" -
On my List today are the following:
(1)I woke up and got out of the house real early, in time for my Saturday teaching duties..(as far as i am concern..) I think we had fun while learning, judging from the laughs and guffaws of my victims--hmmm students.
(2)A cool student of mine gave me a "hand-gloves" scrub-- i hope i got it right. It's from The Face Shop, can't wait to try it. I love scrub thingy but haven't tried the gloves kind..i am a "puff" kind of scrubber (if there is such a term). And she gave it to me because...OMG i didn't even ask! But i said super "tili" thank you! I think its for my Bday- i told you more gifts will still be coming..
(3)At first, i did not find it something to smile about or even considered putting it here on my inventory-- but i decided not to be too hard on myself-- after not reviewing for the unit test for "kanzen" patterns 1-58, i got 80/100. Not too shabby, i say!
So there's my inventory for you. Something to smile about!
I will try to continue this List from hereon, for hope of lessening my gloominess, my laziness, my craziness :-p
