Bright Star is truly beautiful. Not your typical period drama (However much they are a weakness) this goes beyond.

The Art of Liwei

This photo, Zooey Deschanel who wears the best clothes and has the most enviable hair ever which sadly my total lack of fashion know how cannot match.

The Ipod Touch that I inherited off Geoff because he might’ve gotten himself an Iphone.

Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man

My new haircut. And having finally found a hairdresser that isn’t a budget cuts and is still very reasonably priced.

Terry Pratchett’s “A Hat Full of Sky”, it’s all just so much fun.

I’m still struggling what to make of it. The movie is very startling contrast between evil and innocence and there are all these different elements of escapism and a crossover of the awful reality of Ofelia’s life into her fantasy world.

There is a very interesting article over here called Escaping into the Real by Timothy Miller.

And a decent review on the Guardian.

Very worth watching, however rather violent in parts and a little disturbing.

They’re wonderful. Especially the Brooklyn “closet theory”.

Last night Geoff and I went to see Revolutionary Road.

It’s slowish, granted, but it’s worth the time and thought it demands post viewing. Winslet is exceptionally good, Leo DiCaprio should still be wearing bloomers and the man who plays John – the ‘disturbed’ realator’s son is brilliant. The actors are there but it’s propelled by it’s themes. I’m desperately wanting to read the book – it’ll sit close on par with the awkward and dark Dorian Gray.

In very brief summary Revolutionary Road is about being stuck in the mouse wheel of life, and in this in itself hits rather close to home. You’re left with the uncanny feeling that, that’s the bit that actually worked it’s way under your skin, over the other more dramatic issues.

So if you are up for solemn, somewhat disturbing but thought inducing watch. Do take the time.

2009 came in moderation, not with a bang. There were no fireworks, but we had sparklers, music, champagne, a marquee and a few friends. I most enjoyed the early morning introduction to ’09. First up after a less than perfect sleep in a tent on less than flat ground, but there was an eggshell sky and sun, a silent field and moment of the same before it went to the crapper and the clouds and we got some rain.

The news continues to talk about 2008 as a non-highlight and begs hope out of the new year. I am inclined to disagree with the former statement however the word hope is a sweet one that should live on.

In a moment of introspection (aka. now) here are my highlights of the past and hopes for the present (with a few true aspirations and undoubtedly top shelf items that I won’t really reach, being short and all).

Highlights

• January 5th I married my best friend. And consequently spent the rest of the year married to him (to be continued…). It’s been interesting and fun! Needless to say, I really love being married and I really love Geoff! It’s certainly been a wildly contrasting year in regard to all previous years.
• Uni, second semester proved full of inspiring people especially in regards to tutors. I finally felt like I was pulling my weight effectively and got to try things like branding and animation. I have come to the realisation that I mightn’t fit the typical traditional stereotype of ‘graphic designer’ but can work from my interests and strengths and hopefully can levy more out of the web stuff and marry it with my ‘designish eye’.
• Frustration. It seems a weird choice to include it here, but God has increased my frustration with how I live as a Christian and how church can/could operate. It hasn’t gotten too far but there is room for movement and there needs to be room for movement. Some of this is tied up with finishing up with leading youth and being dumped in the deepend of doing nothing.
• And there are the miscellaneous things like: growing friendships with people like Beth and Bri, marvelous restaurants, some great movies  and books and some less than typical experiences – like seeing Wicked.

Un-Highlights

• A bodgy start to the uni year with some super low motivation levels in regard to particular subjects.
• Less investment in certain friendships and not because of want, but because I am a lazy and…
• Feeling so busy and unorganised

Idealutions, resolutions and hopeings

• A slower year, where priorities become priorities and the trivial things are thrown out with the bathwater
• Invested time and head space to enjoy and get the most out of uni
• To be more organised at home
• Eat better, cook nicer food – to be bothered
• Get more fit
• To continue to investigate, read more about, and live out some of the results of the aforementioned frustration
• More time for God…. listen more, write more
• Be less critical of things like traditional church and learn to love what is good and do differently instead of simply getting annoyed.
• Be a part of something that explores doing Church differently, try some things!
• To freelance for a while and to do well at it in terms of being self-disciplined and gain useful experience
• Put together a portfolio, get a design job
• More head in the blog. More faithful writing, less crap. Perhaps make something more of it.
• Release a WordPress Theme (and yes it is in production!)
• Learn to use the Wacom properly and work on practicing drawing/illustration etc.
• Learn more about Flash
• Learn more about Illustrator
• Learn some of the little extra things about webdesign and standards that I might otherwise ignore.
• Get my head around Javascript/PHP etc..
• Continue to work on building a really good marriage and be better at loving Geoff
• Be better at maintaining and developing friendships
• Invest in things like Soul Survivor etc.
• Keep track of the money I spend
• Spend less money
• Own less, give more
• Greater confidence and willingness to try things (especially re. design)
• Days of doing different things, like taking my camera out somewhere foreign or less than usual
• Finish uni, and do well in my final year
• Righteousness and peace… Isaiah 32, Romans 14

A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes … and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
German pastor and philosopher (1906-1945) imprisoned and executed for his attempt to overthrow Adolf Hitler.

Sunday afternoon Geoff and I uncharacteristically sat down in front of the TV and caught a facinating documentary on a historical rescue of six Irish/American guys from a British prison in Freemantle (Western Australia).  Throughout the story kept reappearing this word ‘resurrection’. It was an awkwardly beautiful phrase, yet after ten years and many letters, and so much waiting these innocent men were freed and taken home – the word fit.

I love the themes of resurrection and redemption and I don’t think we should leave them alone at Christmas.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”- Isaiah 9:2

Every Christmas I read the Hobbit. And although there is somewhat of a ‘resurrection’ of the dwarves treasure and history from Smaug, there is the more significant resurrection of Bilbo from his comfortable life.

Neither can be construed as perfect metaphors – I’m not sure they even are metaphors. But there is something to be said for waiting and hoping and allowing peculiar shaped freedom to show it’s face.

Both films are entirely brilliant and yet have left me profoundly disturbed, hence why Margot was a poor choice in regards to ‘something light’. I was thinking more along the lines of arthouse in an Amelie sense.

These movies delve the chasm of human character and the richness and ugliness of humanity.

Disturbing movies that are brilliant all the same and worth watching at least once:

• Margot at the Wedding
• The Squid and the Whale
• The House of Sand and Fog
• Notes on a Scandal
• Last King of Scotland
• Hotel Rwanda

And to lesser degree – just as brilliant but perhaps slightly less disturbing:

• Life is Beautiful
• Crash

*Note that your kiddies should probably not be watching these movies unless you intend to scar them deeply – then you yourself are rather disturbing.

1. Made you laugh
Paris Je’Teme

2. Made you cry
Bridge to Terrabithia

3. You loved when you were a kid
The March of the Wooden Soldiers

4. You’ve seen more than once
Garden State

5. You loved but were embarrassed to admit it
In Her Shoes

6. You hated
Bridget Jones Diary

7. Scared you
Fight Club

8. Bored you
Hoodwinked

9. Made you happy
Science of Sleep

10. Made you miserable
House of Sand and Fog

11. You weren’t brave enough to see
Horror anything, I’ll say Shutter even though it’s not out

12. One character you’ve fallen in love with
Jo March from Little Women

13. The last movie you saw
Be Kind Rewind

14. The next movie you hope to see
The Pained Veil OR Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Tagging:
Geoff, Anna, Ana, Makeesha, Jess
ignore me if you like.