Exactly a week ago, the winter break ended. As a working adult I feel privileged to have this 'break' in winter. My employer shutsdown for a good one week between Christmas and New Year and normally we take a trip to India meeting family. This year we decided to do the trip early and chill at home over the winter break. And this has been one of the best decisions in past several months !
I decided to completely unplug from work ( have had a hectic past 3 months and needed a clean r n r to rejuvenate). So I set-up an OOO and moved onto setting up a personal to-do list. I manged to complete over two thirds of the to-dos all the while taking time out to get back to reading and tv. No, no this wasn't the mindless TV watching at the end of a routine day - this was deliberate, considered choices of movies and books.
I read 'Still Alice' by Lisa Genova. I have not watched the movie and the book thus maintained an unfamiliarity that was enough to sustain my interest. The story gives a rare first-hand look into being a patient of mental illness. The story is so detailed into the science and so true to what the person going through the situation is feeling like it almost makes me wonder if the author is in Alice's head. It feels like this can't be fiction. Loved the book and all the characters - Alice,
her husband and of course her actress daughter. I have decided not to spoil it for me by watching the movie. Not yet, anyway.
Hell or high water - Having just taken a road trip across the entire West Texas area, watching this movie was looking at people I recently got acquainted with. It was tremendous acting all of by the lead characters, especially Ben Foster. This neo-wild wild west story is true to to the spirit of all those heart-wrenching westerns that appealed to the male and female emotions of audiences. Highly recommend this film to serious audiences. These are the kinds of movies we need to see more - ones that deal with real people. I am sick of the science fictions and action thrillers. Bring on the story people !
I didn't want to watch Fuller House S2 until after Thanksgiving, so did that during Christmas time. The first seasons was a bit cheesy, but I loved this second season. While I did enjoy the nostalgia and throwback scenes, I thinks what will make the series stand on its own again , and not just as a re-union one-off, is to carry on those themes of developing honest kids and what goes into it. In this time of social media and narcissistic crazines our kids can really use that. Even adults can.
Lastly, I tried Game of Thrones. I guess I am late to the game, but gotta admit I am happy being late. It did not look like I've missed out on a lot. I really don't understand why people are so ga-ga for GoT. Yes, there are some really good characters, but I've seen better. And the excess violence is too much of a bargain for a select scenes. The story itself is soooo slow! I frankly feel that shows like The Tudors, The Whtie Queen have done so much better in carrying on plots and plots of royal carnage and politics. And they did not need a dragon to make it that interesting. I watched until mid Season 3 and I'm never going back. I'd rather read the books.
That is the resolution, for 2017, read more books - more than 2016 at least.
I decided to completely unplug from work ( have had a hectic past 3 months and needed a clean r n r to rejuvenate). So I set-up an OOO and moved onto setting up a personal to-do list. I manged to complete over two thirds of the to-dos all the while taking time out to get back to reading and tv. No, no this wasn't the mindless TV watching at the end of a routine day - this was deliberate, considered choices of movies and books.
I read 'Still Alice' by Lisa Genova. I have not watched the movie and the book thus maintained an unfamiliarity that was enough to sustain my interest. The story gives a rare first-hand look into being a patient of mental illness. The story is so detailed into the science and so true to what the person going through the situation is feeling like it almost makes me wonder if the author is in Alice's head. It feels like this can't be fiction. Loved the book and all the characters - Alice,
her husband and of course her actress daughter. I have decided not to spoil it for me by watching the movie. Not yet, anyway.
Hell or high water - Having just taken a road trip across the entire West Texas area, watching this movie was looking at people I recently got acquainted with. It was tremendous acting all of by the lead characters, especially Ben Foster. This neo-wild wild west story is true to to the spirit of all those heart-wrenching westerns that appealed to the male and female emotions of audiences. Highly recommend this film to serious audiences. These are the kinds of movies we need to see more - ones that deal with real people. I am sick of the science fictions and action thrillers. Bring on the story people !
I didn't want to watch Fuller House S2 until after Thanksgiving, so did that during Christmas time. The first seasons was a bit cheesy, but I loved this second season. While I did enjoy the nostalgia and throwback scenes, I thinks what will make the series stand on its own again , and not just as a re-union one-off, is to carry on those themes of developing honest kids and what goes into it. In this time of social media and narcissistic crazines our kids can really use that. Even adults can.
Lastly, I tried Game of Thrones. I guess I am late to the game, but gotta admit I am happy being late. It did not look like I've missed out on a lot. I really don't understand why people are so ga-ga for GoT. Yes, there are some really good characters, but I've seen better. And the excess violence is too much of a bargain for a select scenes. The story itself is soooo slow! I frankly feel that shows like The Tudors, The Whtie Queen have done so much better in carrying on plots and plots of royal carnage and politics. And they did not need a dragon to make it that interesting. I watched until mid Season 3 and I'm never going back. I'd rather read the books.
That is the resolution, for 2017, read more books - more than 2016 at least.
