this movie is soooo funny ! I need to get it !

just some pics of us and of Delph as a Viking...cause it's worth seeing  ;-)

Remember when Hugh Grant was arrested for soliciting a prostitute while he was dating Elizabeth Hurley? We all asked the same thing: Why? It's one thing to cheat on a supermodel, but to cheat on a supermodel with (grimace) Divine Brown?

...Maybe he needed some danger in his life or to mix things up from a "romantic" standpoint. I concluded that Hugh's celebrity drove him to Ms. Brown. After climbing Mount Everest—"Hey, I have my pick of hotties!"—he simply couldn't figure out what to do next.

After watching the Steelers make that improbable run to the Super Bowl title in 2005, I can attest to the highs that come with your favorite team succeeding against all odds. Sure, the Patriots fans would have been happy if their Cobra Kai Yankees had beat the Giants in the Super Bowl this year, but that doesn't rank anywhere close to what the Giants fans experienced. Here's the Sports Guy's take:

So yeah, there's a ceiling for sports dreams. You can fall in love 20 times, but you'll never care about anyone in quite the same demented way you cared about your first girlfriend or boyfriend—those three-hour phone calls, all the sappy letters and mortifying mix tapes, the nauseating PDAs. For sports fans, winning a title after a prolonged wait is like falling for that first girlfriend. Win it in an especially memorable way, and that girlfriend is also the best girl you're ever going to meet.

So my question to you now is, what's your ultimate sports dream? Some of mine are that the Cavs can keep LeBron, that Big Ben wins a Super Bowl with a great performance, and that I can finally win an NFL suicide pool. Leave me your sports dreams in the comments.

Acredito que os seguintes fatores são extremamente inflenciáveis: péssimas escolhas de filmes, atuações inominavelmente ruins, e o esteriótipo adquirido mesmo sendo ruim justamente no tipo de filme ao qual foi esteriotipado desde então.

E o The Ten deste mês é justamente sobre eles... Os famosos canastrões!

The Ten: Canastrões (Atores/Atrizes)

10º - Cassandra Peterson

Mais conhecida por sua personagem Elvira (sucesso na TV que ganhou uma versão cinematográfica nos anos 80), ela é uma atriz canastrona da qual eu gosto.

Porém, admito, ela é uma atriz ruim. A irônia por conta do fato dela atuar de uma forma que no final das contas faz com que o resultado final não seja tão desastroso quanto o previsto.

Recomendação para constatar a canastrice: Elvira - A Rainha das Trevas.

09º - Hugh Grant

Sinônimo de canastrice no meio cinematográfico, esta figura antipática ficou famosa por suas comédias românticas água-com-açucar.

Ele tam lá seus acertos (Um Lugar Chamado Nothing Hill, 4 Casamentos e Um Funeral, O Diário de Bridget Jones), mas no geral, é um péssimo ator.

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: Tudo Pela Fama e Letra e Música.

08º - Pat Morita

Antes que alguém fale: "Pow, mas ele interpretou o lendário Mestre Miyagi na cinesérie Karatê Kid.", e eu respondo: Realmente, esse personagem é lendário, porém, foi o único acerto dele.

Ele tem projetos imensamente ruins, que fazem até eu esquecer por um momento que ele deu vida ao sábio Mestre Myiagi.

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: King Cobra, 3 Ninjas.

07º - Silvester Stallone

Os clássicos Rocky, Falcão e Rambo poderiam livrá-lo da lista, mas a maioria devastadora de seus filmes são tão, mas tão ruins, que foi impossível ele não integrar este top 10.

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: Pare! Senão Mamãe Atira, Pequenos Espiões 3D.

06º - Lindsay Lohan

Se for para falar mal dela, vai demorar demais! Pois ela não tem um fime que preste (e criticar todos seria uma grande perca de tempo)! E saibam que ela só não ocupa o 1º lugar desta lista porque tem gente muito pior do que ela!

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: Herbie - Meu Fusca Turbinado, Eu Sei Que Me Matou.

05º - Paris Hilton

Arroz de festa, atriz, ex-presidiária, cantora e desocupada nas horas vagas, a jovem conseguiu o seu lugar neste top 10. O único filme pelo qual ela merece algum crédito positivo é A Casa de Cera.

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: 9 Vidas, The Hottie & the Nottie (considerado um dos piores filmes de todos os tempos).

04º - Pamela Anderson

Mesmo tendo ficado famosa por ter interpretado a voluptuosa salva-vidas no seriado de TV Baywatch e uma sexy agente de segurança em V.I.P. (outro seriado de TV) não tem jeito... A loira é canastra demais.

Recomendação para constatar a canastrice: A Justiceira.

03º - Dolph Laundering

Único filme razoável: O Justiceiro, e SÓ!

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: Qualquer outro filme que ele tenha feito.

02º - Charles Bronson

Saldo de filmes bons: ZERO!

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: Qualquer filme que ele tenha feito (porque até então, nunca assisti nenhum filme dele que eu pudesse ao menos dizer que tenha sido razoável).

01º - Chuck Norris

Canastrão com todas as letras e adjetivos que vierem junto.

Aliás, será que algum fã dele (se é que exite algum que seja 100% consiciente das suas faculdades mentais) saberia informar quem foi o infeliz que disse que essa figura poderia atuar (mesmo que restritamente a filmes envovlendo artes marciais)?

Recomendações para constatar a canastrice: Qualquer filme que ele tenha feito.

Infelizmente apenas 10 deles podem compôr a lista, mas saibam, a lista é muito, mas muito longa!

Até a próxima! Um abraço.

Hugh Grant ('Notting Hill', 'Love Actually') i Zhang Ziyi ('Memorias de una geisha', 'Tigre y dragón') seran la parella protagonista de 'Lost for Words', una comèdia romàntica que dirigirà la cineasta danesa Susanne Bier ('Cosas que perdimos en el fuego').

Grant s'interpretarà a si mateix per a donar vida a una refinada estrella de cinema britànic que ha signat per a protagonitzar una pel·lícula dirigida per una famosa cineasta xinesa, que serà interpretada per Zhang Ziyi. Fidel a la seva fama de faldiller, el galant anglès conquistarà a l'atractiva traductora que fa possible la comunicació de l'actor amb la directora xinesa, però a poc a poc descobrirà que és la cineasta qui li atreu realment.

Però, lamentablement, la traductora que està enamorada d'ell és l'única persona que pot comunicar a la directora els sentiments de l'actor i, evidentment, ella té els seus propis plans i entre ells no estan deixar escapar al galant britànic. Una història d'embolics en la qual els riures estan assegurades ja que, segons una informació publicada per 'Variety', el guió anirà a càrrec de Jamie Curtis i Dan Mazer, els guionistes de l'absurda 'Borat'. Està previst que el rodatge de 'Lost for Words' comenci al setembre.

Hugh Grant e Zhang Ziyi protagonizarão o próximo filme da diretora dinamarquesa Susanne Bier, Lost for Words, informou nesta terça-feira a revista Variety.

O ator britânico viverá um comediante chamado por uma cineasta chinesa (Zhang Ziyi) para estrelar seu filme.

O longa começará a ser rodado em setembro deste ano.

A matéria foi encontrada aqui.

The man behind the foundation, Mikhail Gorbachev was in attendance with his only child Irina and her daughter Anastasia.

Also in attendance was Hugh Grant who has an active role in this charity gave a heartfelt speech about his mother Finvola who also fell victim to this disease in 2001. A performance by U2 frontman Bono was given to a star studded audience that included Orlando Bloom, Kevin Spacey, Petra Nemcova, Benicio Del Toro, Kate Beckinsale, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Blunt, Mary J. Blige, Joan Collins, and Joely Richardson.

(Photo Credit: S.O.)

Here's a piece I did back in February 2007 for an interview Cole Haddon conducted with Hugh Grant's hair (arguably, the real talent there) for the unseen-by-me romcom Music and Lyrics. The article itself isn't online for some reason, but picture someone having an imaginary interview with a man's hair and you'll have the gist of it. (My favorite Hugh-cut is a toss-up between the Travis Bickle and the Sideshow Bob.) 

Footnote: I still remember doing the inking on these pieces during my Food and Nutrition night class. Luckily, both the illo and my grade came out OK ... 

So. Let’s take a look at our achievements!

British films produced in the last 15 years which are timeless classics: Um…. Well, Hugh Grant played a lot of floppy-haired posh guys…. And… Um…. Yeah….

Come to think of it… We’ve not actually made anything decent that wasn’t a bond movie, and Generation X can hardly lay claim to the creative credit for that. Where’s Get Carter? Zulu? The Italian Job? Bugsy Malone? A Bridge Too Far? The Great Escape? It seems that we can’t make decent films anymore. I should clarify: Sliding Doors, Four Weddings and A Funeral, Bridget Jones’ Diary and all other such “Brit Rom Coms” are NOT good films, they are the testicle sucking rectal warts of the film world. If you think that they ARE good, then you are wrong. There is not debate here.

British music produced in the last fifteen years which is timeless and classic: Errrrrrr…. Jees, that’s a tough one… Except it’s not, really. We don’t make good music anymore, not since Indy died. Oasis were and are mediocre at best (it’s a measure of just how poor British music has become that they receive such plaudits), The Streets are utterly talentless dog-wank (“Shakespeare for the new generation” my fucking arse!) and should actually die, the ENDLESS stream of saccharin plastic wannabe r-n-b churned out by the likes of Simon Cowell actually makes me want to cry… and that’s about it. I suppose there was Joss Stone, but she did one respectable album, went to the States and become shit… Robbie Williams likewise. Blur and Gorillaz? Well, okay, both very good, but hardly timeless classics. We’re nil for two so far.

Television produced by Brit Gen X which is timeless and classic: I can name two. Just two shows. “This Life” and “The League of Gentlemen”. And I bet hardly anybody else has even heard of “This Life”. Conversely, we’ve had almost a decade of Big-Horrible-Freakshow-Brother, so much home-makeover porn that it beggars belief, ten thousand “celebrity” chefs (Ainsley Harriot: Die. Just fucking die) and a million zero-budget quiz shows. And soaps. Endless, interminable hours of misery pumped out of our screens along with a LOT of American shite and a LITTLE bit of American genius. Then there’s Ricky FUCKING Gervaise, who (let’s be honest) also needs to fuck off and die. “The Office” was okay, but would have been FAR better without him. So, since “This Life” and “The League of Gentlemen” are so horribly outnumbered, I’m calling this nil for three.

Britain’s Generation X (me included): You are a talentless non-creative bunch of washouts! DO BETTER!

I often wonder what it is about getting old that is so scary? Is it the fear of not being able to still do the things that you once could or the fear of running out of time to do the things you haven't? Is it feeling sad that your memories are now just only that, or remorse that you didn't create more when you had a chance?

Or is the fear of aging simply down to having to accept that you no longer look as young as you feel inside? Of course we all choose to remember ourselves at our best, when we were flexible enough to reach our toes, when we were taut, toned and wobble free and our arms didn't have wings to rival a 747. So we look in the mirror, scrutinising and criticising, pulling ourselves apart and becoming pre-occupied with those bits of us that have grown, stretched, bagged and sagged.

Determined not to let our bodies reflect where we really are in our life, we strap ourselves onto treadmills and wrap ourselves in seaweed. We nip and tuck, implant curves and suck out fat, inject paralysing toxins and religiously apply a cream to cover every inch and pore of our skin. Creams for the day and for the night, for the stretch marks and the cellulite, for the eye bags, crows feet and the laughter lines.

As the years progress we choose to become drawn in by the advertising hype, promising us that that small pot and shiny box really does equate to the holy grail of eternal good looks. Of course we're not stupid, we know that the actress whose forehead hasn't moved since snagging Hugh Grant in '94 looks that way because of some clever digital enhancing, and not the expensive Dermo-Peptides she promotes. But hey, if she's worth it, then surely so are we.

For those whose looks are reflected in their pay cheque the pressure must be even worse. Take Madonna, a perfect example of someone fighting the inevitable. 'Time is waiting...Tick tock tick tock tick tock' are the words of her latest song, and how true they are. About to turn 50, she's undoubtedly still fabulous, fit and flexible, and wears a leotard to prove it. Botox-ed, lifted and tightened to a T, she looks better than she did 20 years ago. But at the end of the day, when the stylist has gone home and red carpet is rolled up, she can't get away from the fact that she's still nearly 50.

Of course time can't stand still, but who would want it to. At least with the benefit of age (in theory), we have the chance to learn from and redeem ourselves from those horrendous mistakes made back in a time when we thought we had a clue. That Mickey Mouse fleece, tent sized denim jacket and the clod hopping Doc Martins, the appalling poodle perm and the pearly pink lipstick from the bargain bin at the local chemist. The memory alone is enough to make you want to rewrite your youth and shred your entire photographic history.

So how can you stay ahead in this complicated aging game? One way is to make sure the contents of your wardrobe stay in line with the numbers on your birth certificate. So if you can stop yourself trawling through the back of your closet and digging out clothing that haven't seen the light of day in a decade, or resist the urge to buy new clothes in a shop that plays music by artists you have never heard of, then there is far less chance you will be hunted down for crimes against fashion, sheared and served up with a helping of mint sauce.

Rule of thumb - if you can remember a fashion from the first time it hit the shops, be it the mini of the 60's, flares of the 70's or that hideous puff ball of the 80's, then quite possibly by the time it makes its revival and appears back on the catwalk, it's probably not something you should be wearing again.

There's no point beating ourselves up for looking the very age that we actually are, and wasting valuable time and money trying to look how we once did. That time could be put to much better use, and the money saved could be used to make even more memories..

If you enjoyed this article, check out:

To meat or not to eat

What a load of rubbish

I

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I

I

Hey everyone:)

So, I got a chance to watch "Love Actually" for the first time yesterday. I loved it! I thought it was wonderful. What a great Law of Attraction movie. Everyone learned something and not everyone got what they wanted. It showed that there are many types of love, not just the romantic kind. It was very sweet and all the actors were so good. I think it was quite deceiving that the trailer was making it look like a chick flick. It is in certain ways, but in certain other ways it is absolutely not. In fact, it is one of my brother's favorite movies (I believe). It was absolutely hilarious.

My favorite actors in the whole thing was, number one Emma Thompson. She did absolutely terrific at playing a married woman whom finds out that her husband was cheating on her. Whether it was just buying a necklace for a girl, kissing the girl, or having sex with her is what she does not know. Emma Thompson has a great energy with her and her character's weak moments are very well done and you definitely feel her anguish and disappointment.

Laura Linney also did very well as a girl who has been in love with a man for two years and when she finally gets the chance to be with him her brother calls. Her brother is mentally ill and with her parents not around she is left to take care of them. Her honesty and sweetness in relation with her brother (and slight sadness for the inability to be with said guy, because she is always on the phone) is very honest and it made me cry.

There are many other wonderful performances from Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth,  Alan Rickman, and tons of others that are very worth watching it for. It is an incredible film. It is probably my favorite romantic film (second only to "50 First Dates").

The plotlines were fantastic. I can't go into all of them, because there are so many and they all intertwine at one point. One of the plotlines is about the prime minister (Hugh Grant) who falls in love with a girl of his catering staff at the same time trying to deal with the President of the United States (Billy Bob Thorton). Then there is also a plotline about a father (Liam Neeson) whose wife has just died and his eleven year old has just fallen in love. He is trying to find out how to communicate with him and help him. It was beautiful and very well done.

I think we all could learn something from this film. Number one is that there are many different kinds of loves throughout our lives. There is romantic love, friendship, family love, and career love. There are so many different avenues that we do not need to crave romantic love all the time (although it is very nice), after all there are so many things and people we can love in life without constantly worrying if we are going to find that right person. Number two, is that although things don't always work the way we want them to, it doesn't mean that it is not the right thing for us. In the end if we believe in ourselves and who we are, we will attract people and situations that match that.

Please, watch this movie and tell me what you think of it. I beg on my hands and knees (just kidding). I think it is absolutely wonderful though and well worth a watch.

Alright, I'm off to make a terrific day!

Have a good one:)

"Pious are boring !!!

Bayangan adegan Hugh Grant dan Sandra Bullock di film Two Weeks Notice 
sekonyong-konyong muncul di otakku. 
"Pious are boring !!! "
kata-kata pendek yang telak memukul Sandra Bullock di film itu.
Telak pula memukulku saat ini.

"Independent gimana ?
you realize that people do have their own frame Nin,
so do i, i have my own view points,
lagian aku kurang nurturing gimana Gi ?"
jawabku membela diri.

Regina, perempuan berumur seperempat abad
yang sudah seperti saudara bagiku itu berujar lagi,

"Sekarang coba kamu pikir dan rasain sendiri Ngga,
berapa orang laki-laki yang kamu kenal ?
berapa banyak dari mereka yang intens interaksi dengan kamu
atau yang kamu ajak berinteraksi ?
hanya beberapa dari beberapa itu kan Ngga ?
Mungkin Pijarmu itu juga gitu, sama seperti kamu,
cobalah untuk sedikit, sedikiiiittt saja Ngga  kamu memberikan
something ke dia"

"Pijar mu, huhh...sejak kapan ada embel2 "mu" di nama itu ?
duh Gi..malu ahh....nggak guwe buwangett, lagian ....."
aku nggak meneruskan kata2ku.

"Siapa ? perempuan itu ? hmmm....
See, aku kan cuman ngasih saran Ngga,
terserah kamu mau gimana" 
Regi melembutkan suaranya

---

"Pagi Ngga, eh besok bisa minta tolong nggak ?
weekend besok aku ada rencana mo ajak teman2 makan-makan ,
ntar kamu yang koordinir ya ? tempat sama waktunya?
plis ? gimana ?" tanyamu pagi itu.

Mana mungkin aku bisa menolak permintaan Pijar ?
tentu saja langsung aku iyakan.

Gathering for lunch,
aku  memang tidak pernah bermimpi kamu akan duduk di sini,
di sebelahku,
tapi juga aku tidak pernah rela melihatmu duduk di sana,
di sebelah perempuan bersayap kuning itu

Damn !!!! kumaki mataku !!!
Sh***t !!! aku benci melihat tanganmu yang tiba2 -walau hanya sejurus-
membelai rambut perempuan berambut sutra itu.
Damn !!! kembali kumaki mataku.

Aku kembali ingin memaki...
bukan memaki kamu,
bukan memaki perempuan itu,
tapi memaki diriku sendiri yang begitu tolol !!!
haruskah aku menjadi kupu2 merah jambu
seperti kata Nin malam itu ?

malam ini aku menangis, 
bukan dengan mataku,
bukan dengan hatiku,
bukan dengan jiwaku,
malam ini aku hanya ingin menangis,
karena aku tidak ingin tegar selamanya....

februari 2008

Note : kata2 "kupu2 merah jambu dan kupu2 gajah"  ada di sebuah cerpen yang pernah kubaca ( pernah dimuat di  mediaindonesia, maaf aku lupa nama pengarangnya, terimakasih atas inspirasi kata2nya). beberapa kata2 lain juga banyak terinspirasi dan banyak sumber

(pic : photobucket)

[INTRO]

I’ve been living with a shadow overhead
[Lama sudah aku hidup di bawah bayang-bayang]
I’ve been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
[Di atas ranjangku, aku tidur bersama awan]

I’ve been lonely for so long
[Begitu lama aku kesepian]
Trapped in the past, I just can’t seem to move on
[Terjebak di masa lalu, tak mampu bergerak]

I’ve been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
[Kusimpan segala asa dan mimpiku]
Just in case I ever need ‘em again someday
[Berharap suatu hari nanti aku akan membutuhkannya]

I’ve been setting aside time
[Kusisakan waktuku]
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind
[Tuk sisihkan sedikit ruang di sudut hatiku]

[REFFRAIN]
All I want to do is find a way back into love
[Yang kudamba hanyalah kembali menemukan cinta]
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
[Ku tak mampu bertahan tanpa kembali menemukan cinta]

I’ve been watching but the stars refuse to shine
[Kutatap langit namun bintang enggan bersinar]
I’ve been searching but I just don’t see the signs
[Ku mencari-cari tapi tak kutemukan isyarat itu]

I know that it’s out there
[Aku tahu sesuatu ada di sana]
There’s got to be something for my soul somewhere
[Sang pelipur hatiku]

I’ve been looking for someone to shed some light
[Kucari seseorang untuk memberiku secercah cahaya]
Not somebody just to get me through the night
[Bukan sekedar menemaniku melewati malam]

I could use some direction
[Beri aku arah]
And I’m open to YOUR suggestions
[Dan kusiap menerima saranMU]

[Reffrain]
All I want to do is find a way back into love
[Yang kudamba hanyalah kembali menemukan cinta]
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
[Ku tak mampu bertahan tanpa kembali menemukan cinta]

[Bridge]
And if I open my heart again
[Dan jika kubuka lagi hatiku]
I guess I’m hoping YOU’ll be there for me in the end
[Aku selalu berharap KAU selalu menemaniku sampai akhir nanti]

There are moments when I don’t know if it’s real
[Ada kalanya aku tak tahu apakah itu nyata]
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
[Atau adakah yang merasakan hal yang sama denganku]

I need inspiration
[Aku berhasrat pada sesuatu yang menginspirasiku]
Not just another negotiation
[Bukan yang memberiku tawar menawar]

[Reffrain]
All I want to do is find a way back into love
[Yang kudamba hanyalah kembali menemukan cinta]
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
[Ku tak mampu bertahan tanpa kembali menemukan cinta]

[OUTRO]
And if I open my heart to YOU
[Dan jika kubuka hatiku padaMu]
I’m hoping YOU’ll show me what to do
[Kumohon ENGKAU bimbing langkahku]

And if YOU help me to start again
[Dan jika KAU bantu ku melangkah lagi]
YOU know that I’ll be there for YOU in the end
[KAU tahu ku kan selalu ada UNTUKMU sampai akhir nanti]

Casamento de Muriel - que aliás faz décadas que não vejo, preciso rever.
Flashdance.
E o MAIS VERGONHA: Letra e música.

Eu choro toda vez que vejo. E a PORRA da HBO não pára de passar essa merda!
TÔ FICANDO SECO! DESIDRATADO! EU VOU PROCESSAR A HBO!!!
É um filme idiota. Mas eu amo. Acho a Drew o máximo, adoro a cara irônica do Hugh Grant, e acho ótimo esse filme de casais semi-descolados que se encontram e precisam se desvencilhar de toda a sua postura cool para se amar.

É, talvez eu me reconheça.

Copyright(c) Belga 2007 - 2008

Sin palabras...

que lo disfruteis. Feliz jornada

Ah... y recuerda... en martes, ni te cases ni te embarques...

now that thats over with i want to talk about something which has pissed me off....

I dated a girl for about a year, it got pretty serious, and then she went psycho on me and that was the end of that. I dealed with the relationship pretty shittily, even though in my defense so did she because she was extremely wishy washy, deceitful, and just generally shitty. Anyways...
I havent spoken person to person with this girl in many months. Yes, I admit there were several drunk dials and texts etc (bad jack daniels, bad mike!) but basically since i left Korea i havent one a single thing, and even before that hadnt talked to her since Dec.
This week was the anniversary of her mom's passing away, and rather than send her flowers I felt it would be appropriate to just write a nice letter and send it off to her(which i did on facebook). I just expressed my condolences and wished her well, as well as told her about the bone marrow because I thought it would make her feel better. This is the whole me trying to do something nice for someone I love because they used to be really important in my life, even though now I dont even know them.
What happened after i sent it? The bitch BLOCKED me. What the F? SHe fucking blocked me. I cant even see her profile to begin with, and she blocked me. Thats fucking cold blooded.
I was feeling pretty heated, but then realized that hey, maybe I was wrong and maybe I did something or wrote someting that as inappropriate. So what I did was I asked two of my best friends, Jenna and Jeff, what was up. I let them both read the letters and suprisingly they had conflicting viewpoints.

Jenna (Who loved my ex, and always talked about how pretty and sweet she was) read the letter and was suprised at what hapened. She said she cried just reading it, and that my ex was a psycho bitch, and a really bad person, and mean. She was really suprised at what happened.
Jeff ( Who dislikes my ex, and practically told me every week we dated that I should dump her) criticized me. He said it was fucked up of me to try and get back in her life ( even though it was just a letter, and im about 50000000 miles away) and that I was wrong no matter what.

This is very interesting, becuase the one who likes her thinks shes worthless, and the one who hates her is defending her. How intriguing. Nevertheless I learned something. Sometimes it is just better to let things go. Its possible that wonderful people can ruin themselves, and its possible that a person who was once incredibly amazing can become a total piece of trash. Just because I once wanted to marry a girl doesnt mean she cant be a soulless bitch, it just so happened i didnt see that side of her until after she decided to go succubus on me.

Oh well, life moves on. Im just suprised how cruel people can be at times ( not to say I'm not).

The downside of all this is that I got really bummed out. It was because I was hurt that I tried to do something nice for someoen and it blew up in my face. It sucks to know someone has so much hate for you, when you really arent a bad person, yet likes so many people that are blatant douchebags. As a result of my bummedness, I cancelled my date with a really cute bartender I met in Daegu. I guess overall its okay because girls from bars can be poison.

More to follow, but it wont actually follow, it will be on top.

Since I’ve met you, my whole life has changed
It’s not just my furniture, you’ve rearranged
I was living in the past, but somehow you’ve brought me back
And I haven’t felt like this since before Frankie said relax

And while I know, based on my track record
I might not seem like the safest bet
All I’m asking you, is don’t write me off, just yet

For years I’ve been telling myself, the same old story
That I’m happy to live off my so called, former glories
But you’ve given me a reason, to take another chance
Now I need you, despite the fact, that you’ve killed all my plants

And though I know, I’ve already blown more chances
Than anyone should ever get
All I’m asking you, is don’t write me off, just yet
Don’t write me off just yet

Download Hugh Grant - Don't write me off

Okay, I used to argue that I have no accent. That you all have accents and not me. Oh I can quote you studies by Oxford University proving that South Africans have the purest English "accent" out there. That we speak English the way it was intended by God or whoever made the rules of English. The Queen I guess.

But I am so damn wrong about that. You see, I am not English. Fatal flaw number 1. I can only have the purest "accent" (or non-accent) if I actually qualified as an English South African. I am not. But it came as a bit of a shocker to realize that I have one damn heavy bloody accent. I never heard it before. Until yesterday.

We had this guy from South Africa visiting our offices today. Of course, as the resident foreigner and South African, I had to go to the meeting. (I was also secretly hoping the guy would bring some biltong and Castle - but no bloody luck with that either.) He was from my hometown - Cape Town. I guess they also wanted me to translate for them. This guy had a heavy accent. Or so I thought.

I introduced myself and we were walking and talking on our way to the meeting-room. (Small world - we went to the same primary school.) All I heard was "Ja, man" and "lekker". I thought the team might have some trouble understanding him, but it didn't seem to bother anyone. Or they were doing a pretty good job acting as if they understood what he had to say. But the meeting went well. He was a typical South African. On top of his game and as sharp as a needle in a condom factory. Sharp enough for you to think it's all going to go very wrong any minute. But he was good - he made me proud. Even with the accent.

I saw him out afterwards and made him promise to bring me some Castle, biltong and a few other goodies next time he comes to visit. He should have known that any honorable South African will never fall for bribes of diamonds or riches - but a well placed can of Stoney and a packet of Simba Chutney can swing a deal in seconds. A lesson I hope you learned young man. Don't let me repeat myself.

Anyway, after a few comments that included "lekker", "boerewors" and "moerse" we said "cheers" and off he went. Nice guy. I rejoined Ms C, my colleague and friend, to download. But first I had to check on the accent. So I asked her, "Tell me I don't have an accent as heavy as that". She looked at me, laughed and said, "You sound just like him". Damnit.

She even reminded me that he used words that only South Africans use - like thumbsuck. And that she looked at me to see if I realized he used the word - they make fun of some of my expressions at work all the time. Fun in a good way. And thumbsuckis one of those words I use often. It means to create something from nothing. Like in "I created the data from nothing - I thumbsucked the data". Damnit. I didn't even blink when he said it - it was just English to me. Damnit.

No wonder we always need a translator when we go to meetings. I remember one of my first meetings facing a new client. I kept on talking about the data we were using to support our argument. And the potential client just stared blankly at me. Not a clue of what I was saying. So Ms M stepped in to say that I mean data. Pronounced completely differently. I pronounce it da-ta - the "a" pronounced like in the "a" in "la" ( as in "do re me fa so la te do"). Not day-ta. Thanks Ms M. And she's pretty good at understanding and translating what I have to say. And makes it sound even better than what I actually meant to say.

(Another word is Iraq. I pronounce it E-Raq - standard "a" as above - while Americans pronounce it Eye-Rack. No wonder MediCare makes so many mistakes. You try and fill in those prescriptions without making a mistake baby.)

Anyway. Another favourite expression of mine is used when someone asks me how long something will take or how much it would cost or how involved it would be. My response? "How long is a piece of string?" You see, I can't tell you how long the piece of string is until I have more information - and the same detail is needed to answer the other questions. I still get blank stares for that one. And a few laughs from our team.

But the accent do have distinct advantages. I can pretty much say whatever I want and people will smile and believe me. I sound so... worldly. You want to talk development? Who better than someone with an accent and from Africa. You want to talk about the global economy? Who better than someone with an accent who lived on a few continents already. Like my boss and friend Mr M says - I can kill someone and get away with it if I just keep on talking and smiling.

Yes, my accent. Not easy to understand, but it comes in handy. I generally call myself the pretty accent in the corner. We can use it when we need to because it does tell the listener that I might have a different perspective - and I get their attention. Especially over here in the US where accents are still a bit of a novelty. I mean really, you guys think every and any Englishman on the big screen must be a great actor - just because he has an accent! Hugh Grant anyone?

Of course the accent helps me get away with silly comments and general stupidity because of the way it sounds. I am the Hugh Grant of my profession. No matter how stupid I actually am, my accent makes me sound smarter and wiser than what I really am. And better looking.

WTF? Yes, better looking. Or at least marginally more attractive. Okay, more acceptable for public viewing. Just. Barely less horrifying than Freddy Krueger on a bad night. Children run away screaming their little heads off when they see me, but hang on to every word I say when they hear me speak. Scary looking, but with the accent still a huge improvement over my non-accented self. Last week Friday I was talking to a few of my younger colleagues at work - a young guy and two young women, one who just joined us. And the other young women looked at our new colleague and said that I have the coolest and nicest accent she has ever heard. Aah, always good for the ego of any (almost) middle-aged man. Even if he has his own little accent of love. My wife. The one with the purest accent of all. Or rather, as an English South African - the one with the non-accent. Just music to my ears and heart.

So hear me roar. That's about all you will understand. But take it from me (imagine an accent saying this) - the accent makes me wise and cool. And a little bit better looking than with my mouth shut. I have the data to prove it.

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