As Fi Bows to Peer Pressure

It was Prom 57 tonight (not 57 for me, that would be a tad excessive, but the 57th Prom this season/year) and it boasted an impressive orchestra - the New York Philharmonic - playing an even more impressive selection to a packed audience.

Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F Major was on the agenda, as was Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, but first up was the world premiere of a BBC/New York Philharmonic commissioned work by Steven Stucky called Rhapsodies. While I enjoyed it, and it was ten times better than the overly modern pieces that have premiered this year at the Proms I’ve been at, I’m not sure I felt much from it.

Gershwin, however, was perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, got completely and totally wrapped up in it. I had forgotten how much I loved the quirkiness of his music.

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring was a grand contrast to the first two and the sound was so deep around Royal Albert Hall. It was the first time I’d heard it played live (as with the Gershwin) but with this it sounded so much more alive and different to how it does as a recording. It was, wait for it, a beautiful cacophony of melodic delirium and dissonance and I loved it.

And that is all for tonight . . .

I’m feeling more like myself tonight, helped by a day working at home and an evening spent at the pub with Jess catching up on life, love and all things. Work’s website needed attending to, one of my many “fascinating” tasks, and that was followed by 50 lengths of the pool (my current average), a dip in the spa pool and a few minutes in the steam room. Steam rooms are very hot.

We tried the Marlborough Arms, just off Tottenham Court Rd, tonight and I’m pleased to say it was a great success. A large pub with a newly refurbished interior, it had a large variety of drinks and we had no problem finding a table despite it being fairly full. Staff were lovely and the prices weren’t bad either so all in all a great other local.

Tomorrow I am off to see the New York Philharmonic play Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F Major and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Proms season. I *LOVE* the Proms and firmly believe that this is one of the best British/London institutions. M(attias), my Swedish flatmate, and I will pay 5 pounds (that’s two to three cups of coffee here) for this pleasure and that’s a bargain if ever I heard one. Beautiful music in an amazing venue, what more could I ask for?

In other news, I am a tad worried about the ever-more-concerning issues in the Caucasus and in particular Russia’s involvement. We live in “interesting” times. And lastly I’m outting myself as an Obama supporter, I was never really a Clinton fan at all, and it’s fascinating to watch the changing face of US politics through this campaign. But bed calls for now . . .

This reminded a friend of a lecture we had by my supervisor . . . just for those who don’t know, the Onion does not report factually accurate news. Well worth a read, click on the link to get the full article (silly blog.com is having formatting issues for this).

Now that I’ve mastered the “read more” button, I’m going to do a movie review of Hable Con Ella (Talk to her), a spanish movie by Pedro Almodovar.

I’m not sure I’d “recommend” this movie, it’s a great Almodovar film and is very interesting but I found it to be a little odd. I’ve seen quite a few Almodovar films now and I’m starting to see a pattern, but I definitely wouldn’t suggest anyone watch it as part of movie night.

(Only read more if you want to know the plot . . . it’s well worth knowing!)

The movie begins with two spanish guys (Marco and Benigno) sitting next to each other in a theatre, watching some type of funky modern ballet that involves crazy people running around a stage and making moaning noises. Marco cries, he cries a lot all throughout the movie, no matter what the circumstance. Months/years pass and we see Benigno caring for a young women in a coma in the hospital. He has been contracted to massage & clean & etc this girl full-time. It would appear to be a very odd job and I really hope I’m never in a coma, or have a friend or family member in a coma for a long long time.

Marco tries to interview a female bullfighter and they end up together, I can imagine that happening. Marco goes to his ex-girlfriends wedding (it took him 10 years to get over her) with female bullfighter (who likes weddings) and then they head off to a bullfight. During the bullfight, the female bullfighter gets attacked by a maniacal bull (surprise surprise). She ends up in a coma.

The main plot is the story of the two guys caring for their women in comas. Unfortunately, Marco discovers that his woman has been back with her old boyfriend for a month so he stops visiting her. Meanwhile it appears that Benigno is totally obsessed with his woman, and has been since before she was in a coma. He is convinced that he and his woman should be married, because they have a better relationship than most married couples. Marco points out that the woman is in a coma.

Someone rapes Benigno’s woman (you don’t see that, it’s not kinky like that) and the hospital and her family suspect him. Although you never definitively find out that it was him, this seems incredibly likely. He is jailed, waiting for trial. Meanwhile Marco’s woman dies while he is in Jordan writing for a travel guide. He goes back and discovers Benigno is in prison. He finds out that Benigno’s woman’s baby was a still birth and that Benigno’s woman has woken up from her coma. He promises not to tell Benigno because otherwise who knows what he will do. Benigno takes too many pills, so he can be in coma with his love, and kills himself. Sad.

Marco meets Benigno’s woman at the theatre and they eventually get together.

I told you it was an odd film. Oh yeah. There’s a kinky silent film in the middle. It’s very very kinky, and I would recommend skipping that bit when you get to it, should you want to see this strange movie.

Oddly, I quite liked it.

I’m not kidding. They’re going to make a Disney movie called Gnomeo and Juliet. Two garden gnomes fall in love with each other, although their families are sworn enemies.

Miramax and Sir Elton John’s Rocket Pictures are producing this film, expected to be out for Christmas 2008. It will star Ewan McGregor as Gnomeo, Kate Winslet as Juliet, Judi Dench as Nurse and Greg Ellis as Tibault.

I don’t know whether to be excited or be scared.

Here are some less-than-perfect photos from the Rugby Sevens Parade in Wellington last Thursday. I did so enjoy the parade! I must now disappear off to my parents house to check it hasn’t blown away.

1.  Dragostea Din Tei and the Numa Numa Dance

OOOOOHHH!!! SOOOOOO EXCITING!!!!! Dragostea Din Tei is reportedly in the Chicken Little movie, which means I will sooooooo be going to see it. Chickens . . . and crazy Euro summer dance songs . . . I can’t imagine anything more fun!

Ok so Dragostea Din Tei is this FANTASTIC song that I heard when I was in Vienna last year. I loved it there, and when I heard it in a cd shop in Madrid airport I successfully managed to buy a copy of the BEST cd with it on (Technics Summer Sessions 2004).

There is nothing more exciting that this song in a movie. Oooooh . . . of course you’ll all listen to it and go . . . right, she’s nuts, it doesn’t even make any sense (it’s not in finnish, it’s romanian I’ve discovered). But I love it . . . I adore it . . . it’s been my very favourite song for a whole year and a bit which is a long time :oP

Ok so the other funny thing about this song is this crazy American guy does a lip syncing dance of it, called the numa numa dance. This song became a huge hit because of the video he made of himself and his dance. He got on lots of American shows and in newspapers and stuff . . . oh the funniness. There’s lots of parodies of his numa numa dance. For both the original and the parodies go look here. (This is a good place to point out that I almost died laughing watching the original original (ignore the with/without subtitles ones to start with)

2. Did You Know That Your Finger Measurement Ratios Are Important?

You can do a brain sex survey with BBC and it’s very interesting and informative and I learnt a lot. You should do it too.

OH THE EXCITEMENT!

I haven’t been to the movies in some 6 or 7 months. So it’s with a huge amount of excitement that I invite anyone that actually knows me and/or Dave and/or is attached to CU to the movie version of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (definitely one of my favourite books).

This is a must see for anyone who loves Marvin, the paranoid android with a brain the size of a planet. ‘I think you ought to know I’m feeling very depressed right now.’

So Reading Cinemas, this Tuesday, 6:40pm, we’re having dinner beforehand so join us at Courtney Central at 6.

Let me know if you’re coming!

Yay, sooo excited!