A Little Catch Up & Pride and Prejudice Fan Documentary

Summer break has finally begun for me.  Talk about a roller-coaster ride getting from the end of May until today.  Although the school year ended, I had to go to a conference for my online job on Monday, and lead a breakout session. That had me a bit keyed up.  Why, I don't know.

Besides getting ready for that breakout session, I had to drive home to help my mother pack up our family home to move down near me (4 hours away).  Saying goodbye to your childhood home is emotional!  I didn't enjoy that process at all.  You start just giving or throwing things away because you can't deal with all the stuff you've hung on to for years.  There is sentimental, and then there is hoarding.  Thankfully, the move is all over and my mom's stuff is now in my garage, waiting for her new place.  She found a nice place that went up for short sale, so we're crossing our fingers it doesn't take a year to get her into it.

Sadly, to top all this madness off, I ended up taking my first trip to the ER for a migraine.  NOT cool.  After moving everything into the garage, with the help of some family who came to help, I came down with a nasty migraine.  Three hours later, we were in the ER.  All I can say is thank goodness my mother was here to take me to the ER, and thank goodness for modern meds!

Well, on a bright note, I had a chance to catch a new BBC documentary coming out of the UK about Pride and Prejudice called "Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball".  It's about an hour and a half and full of really cool historical information that helps us understand Mr. Darcy's comments about dancing and balls.  You should check it out!

Okay.  I'm off to get some errands checked off the list and then maybe home to do some reading!

Documentary Review: American Winter

We know the economy is in bad shape and that millions of Americans and people worldwide struggle to make ends meet.  From personal experience, I have contemplated how close homelessness might be from where I'm at now.  Yes, I have a good job that provides money for a home, car, vacation, retirement, and health care, but where would I be if I were laid off today?  How long could I survive before things got desperate?  Let's be honest.  Not long.

I don't worry about it, and maybe I should?  One thing I will say though is that after watching the documentary "American Winter," I feel compelled to give back.  In the documentary, they share the lives of a variety of American families in Portland, Oregon who have lost their jobs, fallen to illness, or become widowed.  In each of their cases, it really was just one thing that knocked them down and put them on poverty's doorstep.  These were people who had college degrees, who hustled and worked hard, and who would take ANY job to make ends meet.  These were not people looking for a handout or sitting on their butt taking welfare and doing nothing but watch television all day (which is a stereotype that I really hate).  These were families who maybe had one spouse working 12-14 hours a day and yet battled whether to pay utilities or the rent/mortgage.  Mothers skip meals, repeatedly, and scrap metal on the weekends or give plasma to put food on the table.  In short, the stories were compelling and gut-wrenching.

From a personal perspective, my family went through bankruptcy when I was in high school because of my father's mounting medical bills.  My parents went on to pay off every bill they had waived by the bankruptcy, but it obviously ruined their credit rating for years after.  That experience changed me forever.  Today I work two jobs (even though the one is plenty of work all on its own) and am constantly putting money away.  I always question whether I could make it though one major set back?  What if I lost my job?  What if I had another major medical problem?  What if my mother fell to poverty?  Could I take care of her too?

If you've asked yourself any of these questions or really stopped to think about who is being affected by our depressed economy, then I highly recommend that you watch the HBO documentary, "American Winter."  People bash social programs right now, and I won't get all political, but there have to be solutions that won't cost us millions (or billions) more in the long run, that can stimulate the economy and rebuild the middle class.  For now, I feel compelled to give back in some small way.  Please check out this amazing documentary, if you can!

Film Review: Silencing the Song-An Afghan Fallen Star

Last year I reviewed the film Afghan Star, a documentary that showed the Afghan version of American Idol (or other such competition shows).  The documentary was eye opening, showing the people of Afghanistan in a way I had never considered.  With this singing competition, televised across the country, people there got the opportunity to participate in a democratic process of voting for their favorite performer, someone just like them.

Several of the contestants were women, who really risked their very lives by singing on stage.  One young woman, Setara Husseinzada, braved the scorn of the public and would move to the music as she sang.  In fact, on the night she was voted out, her headscarf slipped from her hair and she continued singing.  Her behavior shocked and angered some in the public, and in her hometown of Herat, the leading clerics openly criticized her for her behavior.

In the follow up documentary, Silencing the Song:  An Afghan Fallen Star, HBO films returned to see how she was faring.  Fearing for her life and now married and pregnant, they follow Setara in Kabul, showing the harassment and fear she faces on a daily basis.

The follow up is essential if you have seen the first documentary, as you can't help but wonder what happened to this brave, brave girl after the competition ended.  Although short, this seeming news-report style film shows the prejudice, fear, and superstition present in Afghanistan, and those who not only oppose that fear, but battle it.

If you get a chance, both documentaries are well worth your time.  Below is a trailer for Silencing the Song:  An Afghan Fallen Star.

Trailer

Film Review: Afghan Star & Burma VJ

Last year when I went to visit my mother for the summer, she had upgraded her cable package to include HBO. Part of her package included this delightful thing called HBO on Demand. By the end of the summer, we looked at the record of what we'd watched, and I had watched twice as many documentaries as anything else. I could hardly believe it. Why did I not know this about myself? Who knew? I'm a documentary fiend!

Well, in the craziness of the past two weeks at school, I've managed to watch a handful of documentaries that really left an impression on me. I had to mention two that I think really helped me to understand more about our global society and regions of the world that I've wanted to understand better.

Afghan Star was an interesting and delightful documentary about Afghanistan's version of American Idol. The significance of the competition was that it not only brought together competitors from various social groups that had been separated under Taliban rule, but it opened up a type of democracy wherein the nation's people had a chance to vote (often by cell phone) for the performer of their choice. Under the Taliban, the people of Afghanistan had their TVs taken away, along with the banning of music and dance. Now, through this televised program, music brought together a nation hungry for unity, and a celebration of their identity as a country.

Through the documentary, you become familiar with the different performers, and the lives they lead. Some were from ethnic groups once derided by the general population, but cheered and loved by the nation for their amazing talents. Two women also participated in the competition, breaking strictures placed on women under Taliban rule, however, controversy brewed over the way the women portrayed themselves as they performed. If respectful, the audience supported and loved them. If not, the controversy brewed. Overall, I found this documentary delightful and enlightening. There is this hopefulness felt throughout the film that really warmed my heart and gave me hope for Afghanistan's future. It's funny how culture, when allowed to flourish, can change the hearts of the people much faster than any propaganda or warfare. No, it's not a permanent change, but at least offers some joy and hope in a region that has had very little. You can learn more about the documentary at their website at Afghan Star, as well as on Amazon at: Afghan Star.

Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country was another amazing documentary I had the chance to watch off of HBO. According to the film, much of what we get in news reports comes from a group of undercover citizens known as the DVB, who operate by using small camcorders that they upload through the Internet or smuggle out of the country. After a 1988 uprising that left over 3,000 protesters dead, the citizens of Burma had settled into lives led in fear of a militarized government that had embedded spies and "thugs" out to silence anyone who spoke out against the government in any way. Limiting the information the people received through the media, the DVB risked life and security to record protesting and other forms of resistance going on in Burma.

After setting up the basis for the documentary, it shows the events that occurred throughout September of 2007, that led to the death of a Japanese journalist, as well as scores of Buddhist monks, and the imprisonment of hundreds of student and citizen protesters. In the beginning, when the monks chose to march in support of the oppression being felt by the people, it spurred on the courage of the general population who had previously been too afraid to make any sort of move. According to the culture, violence against monks was unheard of, and this helped the citizens to feel some comfort in their own uprising. Eventually though, as the protesting rose into the thousands, the military turned their violence on the monks, rounding them up to take them to prison, as well as forming night raids to round up and imprison monks.

This documentary was absolutely eye opening. As a winner of multiple film festivals last year, and as an Academy Award nominated documentary, you sense that the documentary has much to offer its viewers. This was absolutely true in the case of Burma VJ. I often think of myself as pretty well-informed. I watch the news, I read articles for myself, and I try to stay on top of world events (not just local). For me, this documentary caught me unaware and eager to learn more about Burma, as I understood so little about the region. Of course now I understand why I understand so little, as news reporters are not allowed into Burma, and much of the "smuggled" news has been cut off since 2007-2008. Honestly, I find the militarized fear spread by this government to be shocking, and wish there was more that I could do. I do recognize though that the first, and most important step is to be informed, and then to pass that information on to others. So, to that, I say that you should definitely check out this documentary to learn more! To read more about the documentary, see their film website at Burma VJ or can be pre-ordered here from Amazon: Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country.

I really love documentaries and the gaps in information they fill. Have you seen any great documentaries that you can recommend?

Well, I'm off to take a walk, in my attempt to get my 10,000 steps in today! Wish me luck in this crazy walking journey.

Review & REVOLUTION: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I've had Jamie's Food Revolution cookbook sitting in my kitchen for several weeks, cooking from it, and waiting for my own copy to arrive on my doorstep. The recipes are simple, easy to cook, and full of flavor and basic, healthy properties to fill our tummies with home cooked...REAL food. After watching his show last week, and having my own thoughts on cooking and health, I had to post a review of his cookbook and plan to help change the way we all eat.

Jamie's newest cookbook is really great. I had to say that I was sold when I saw the expansive, simple recipes for a variety of curries. He had pasta dishes, salads, vegetables, meat dishes, and just good, basic food. These foods aren't new to many of us, but they are brought back into our attention, and the varieties of ways you might tweak these recipes into new, fun dishes for every day of the week is a nice addition.

Let me give a bit of background on Jamie Oliver, and his appeal to me, personally. One of the first years the Food Network started on TV, we also started watching. Jamie Oliver was a regular on the network, sometimes not on during regular hours, but you could always catch him, or record him as I did. There was something about his passion about food and cooking that really drew me in, and I was hooked. To date, I've cooked more recipes inspired by or introduced to me by Jamie Oliver than any other chef (and I actually really like his nemesis Gordon Ramsay as well...ha, ha). His approach to food is natural, multi-cultural, and exciting. I have his TV show DVDs and cookbooks, and though I don't always like everything he cooks (some of those fish dishes I still can't sell myself on), I do love his passion.

Let's segway to the documentary Food, Inc. that came out on DVD last year. Appropriately so, I was scared of what I saw, and deep down knew that the message of that DVD was true and very real. The basic premise of the film is that too many of are relying on processed, prepackaged foods that are full of chemicals and additives. Also, our meat and dairy have chemicals and antibiotics in them, as a result of producing these products as quickly and efficiently as possible. In essence, we've gotten away from our ownership of our own food.

Why does this all matter to me? Well, in 1998, my father passed away from breast cancer, and thanks to a pancreatic tumor of my own, I was put on a cancer study that revealed I carried a number of cancer genes. Here's what I've learned. Weight isn't 100% of the issue. Health is. I've always tried, as desperately as I can, to eat healthy meals. I'm not a fanatic, but know that I have to try. After seeing Food, Inc., however, I did change the types of foods I put into my shopping cart. I already knew that harmful chemicals could set off the cancer producing portion of my genes, but hadn't thought about the foods and materials I came in contact with that are doing just that. I now eat a lot of organic foods, whole grains as much as possible, and have included much more fruits and vegetables in my meals and cooking. More importantly, I have changed my thinking about food and health. I'm definitely not perfect, but a shift in the way I look at food has taken place. Weight is my next big hurtle to tackle, but food seems to be top of the list for good health in the present.

*Soap box removed from the room, and back to ground level.*

All right. I'll stop waxing long in my testimony to good foods, cooked in our own homes. Even if you don't enjoy cooking, there are amazing cookbooks that can help break you in with easy recipes and beautiful pictures to see what you're cooking. Jamie Oliver's most recent cookbook is one, but as also highlighted here previously, are: Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, and So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week.


I also have to say that Anticancer, A New Way of Life, changed the way I think about health and food forever. It's no longer about my waist size, and more about extending my life with greater vitality. If you're interested in a more scientific background on how food turns off and on those cancer genes, I think this book is a must.

My final plea. As a huge Jamie Oliver fan, and lover of his cause, I would ask that you visit his web site to sign the pledge for healthier foods in our schools. I don't have children, but if I did, I would want the school fixing my child more than chicken nuggets and pizza. Join his food revolution to impact the health and vitality of all our children!

Watch Jamie's show every Friday night on ABC, and don't forget to sign his petition.

Review: The Windsors: A Royal Family & My Life in Ruins

I haven't done a movie review in quite some time, but I recently watched two films that I had to comment on. I usually review films that are based off of novels, plays, or famous Broadway performances; however, I sometimes can't help myself and want to share a few great stories that fall outside of this realm. Neither of the following films come from literature, but both are interesting and deserved a quick mention!

As mentioned in a previous post, I like films about the monarchy. After watching the fabulous documentary Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work, Netflix recommended another documentary, The Windsors: A Royal Family. Part way through disc one of three, I grabbed the envelope the documentary came in to see when it was filmed, thinking it was filmed in the early to mid 1990's. Why? The film making was very 60 Minutes meets old school PBS documentaries--none of this modern, reality TV sense of following around one's subject. This documentary is made up of testimonials and interviews with friends, distant family, and assistants to the crown, who give their first-hand opinions as primary source photographs and film are used to show the most amazing footage of the monarchy. So, you're asking when it was filmed? According to my Netflix envelope it was 2007, according to Amazon it was filmed in 2002. Either way, I was honestly quite shocked that it was so recent.

I won't say that the film wasn't fantastic, but engaging, it's not. It is very much a piece of history, which I loved, but demanded that I pay careful attention to dates, connections between relatives, and the history of events occurring in the world at the same time as those presented in the documentary. A history teacher could use this for brief, amazing clips of Queen Elizabeth's grandfather, King George V and the world as it was during his time, clips of Winston Churchill addressing the Parliament, King Edward abdicating the thrown, or even the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, but that's as far as I would go. This documentary is amazing in its collection of primary documentation, but pretty heavy laden with history, in a way that I haven't seen in awhile. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, but will say that it surprised me a bit in the beginning.

Now, just a quick word about the second film, My Life in Ruins. People often think I'm kidding, or exaggerating when I say I want to move to Greece someday (even if it's only for 4-6 months out of every year), but I'm not. Greece is an amazing country that I don't think I could get enough of (along with Turkey). Having said that, I ran to the theater to see Nia Vardalos's most recent film, eager to see scenes of Greece as the setting for her romantic comedy. The movie was cute, even if predictable and a bit cheesy. Vardalos (who looked pretty amazing) plays the Greek tour guide for her overly-exaggerated-in-their-lameness tourists, trying to interest them in the amazing history of the sites she presents them, when all they really want is ice cream and shopping excursions. First off, I was so offended by the ridiculous things the tourists demanded that I kept talking out loud. I know...chill out, right? Well, that's what my mother kept saying, but I kept picturing all the tours that I took while in Greece, and I could never get enough of the history and antiquities. Honestly, I think I was just a bit too keyed up to fully enjoy the tourists' horrid antics and silly lines. I realize that we were supposed to laugh at the stupidness of the tourists, but they made me want to scream.

Now, on the other hand, here's where this single girl has to gush for just a moment. Alexis Georgoulis (acclaimed as the George Clooney of Greece), made my day. :) My friend Doc and I had a moment in Athens, after hopping off their extremely clean subway system, where we ended up riding the escalator behind what I believe had to be a modern Adonis. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the man we giggled over (yes, at our ages we giggled over his amazing male beauty and enjoyed our escalator ride) reminded me of Alexis Georgoulis, so I calmed down and just enjoyed the film in all it's predictable silliness. I've included here two pictures of him; one where he's looking way too scruffy to really pay him any mind, but then the second, showing him in all his male gorgeousness (which looks like how he spelled his name).

See his scruffy self in the corner...

Now, he's looking like a romantic lead!

Overall, a cute film. It did have some questionable sexual innuendo, but was a pretty harmless romantic comedy, on the whole. Yes, it's predictable, but has its funny moments, and one really nice looking Greek romantic lead. Now, time to figure out how I can find myself a home on a small corner of Greece???

My First ARC!!!

After a fairly nerve-wracking day (and no, for once it's not because of work), it was so exciting to return home to find a package with the "Meg Cabot" sticker I've heard about from other bloggers, sitting on my counter! Honestly, my heart gave a little jump, and I smiled because I knew I'd been chosen to review Meg Cabot's newest sequel to Airhead, Being Nikki. It's terribly exciting, and I need to get a move on. Unfortunately, after getting a bit of bad news about owing MEGA taxes this year, I've had a nasty headache brewing and think I'll be heading to bed early. More reading tomorrow! I really can't wait to dive in. :)

I did want to review a fantastic documentary I watched over the course of the last three days, "Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work." I caught the first episode of this five episode, BBC produced documentary about two months ago when I was flipping channels. Having a fascination with BBC productions, and of course with the Royals, I was instantly gripped by the film. Sadly, it was next to impossible to catch the real times it was being shown on PBS, so I checked the library and put it on hold. How silly though...no one else was even in the que to get this great piece!

Documenting the engagements kept by the Queen, the film follows the British monarch to a state visit to the U.S., showing to what extent everyone goes to in order to make her visit comfortable and monumental. It was interesting to watch the way the White House (actually not white, but "whisper") pulled out all the stops to put together a formal dinner, showing the presidential chinas being considered, and discussing George W. Bush's aversion to white tie events to begin with. You then follow this episode with other visits the queen makes, other dinners and presentations made at the palace in London, and even see her visit her famous home in Balmoral. It's all so fascinating! I don't know how she keeps to her schedule all the time, nor how she deals with talking & schmoozing with so many people all the time! The final episode actually shows her children, cousins, and grandchildren taking on royal duties as well, highlighting the seriousness with which they take their work, championing causes from around the UK.

If you're at all interested in Britain, or the royals, then I highly recommend this wonderfully fascinating documentary.

Wish I had some of the Queen's money about now...