Hope is Just A (-insert action here-) Away

Me and my sister did a marathon DVD nights last weekend. Genre: romance/comedy. And all movies happen to be based on chicklits.

On Friday we watched 27 Dresses after the so-called bachelorette party. On Saturday we watched P.S. I Love You. And on Sunday we watched The Nanny Diaries (it's my second time seeing it, but the first time I didn't really pay attention).

Romance films, especially romantic comedies, have always been one of my guilty pleasures. They're light, entertaining, don't require lots of thinking, are usually a feast for the eyes (because of the good looking casts), and most of all, they kept us dreaming -- of that so-called perfect love and that so-called prince charming. They are the modern versions of fairytales which tell the story of love and (mostly) happy endings.

By watching these kind of movies, we're swept away from reality for a few hours. Forget that you've been going solo for years. Forget that the guys you met (and sometimes dated) are mostly jerks. Forget that you've a knack for being involved in unhealthy complicated relationships all the time. Forget that you're single, broke, with credit card bills to pay. Forget every shit that's happening in the real world. Because in that few hours, the world seemed ever so sweet and perfect, and that all things bad will turn out good in the end.

These movies gave us hope. That there's a teensy weensy bit of chance that life would turn out as sweet as fairytale stories (or chicklits). Such is their charms and spells.

But then again, after the spell had lost its power, we'll be forced to face reality once more. And we came to re-realize many things:
1. That someone as perfect as Gerry (from P.S. I Love You) only existed in movies.

2. That a love as perfect as Gerry's only existed in movies.

3. That someone like Kevin (from 27 Dresses), also only existed in movies. He's a dream guy: bitter and sarcastic but at the same time sweet and thoughtful (sigh...).

4. That a cinderella tale like The Nanny Diaries only existed in movies.

5. That Gerard Butler is just oh-so-perfect -- the face, the body, the voice... hmmm.. yummy..! Uhm, okay, I'm steering off topic here (let's save my fantasies of Gerry only to myself).

Oh yes, reality sucks. Bohoo. But it's quite comforting to know that there are many ways to escape the dreadness of it.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonades, or lemon meringue pie, or lemon sorbet, or tequila shots, or vodka sour (oh well, you get my point). When life gives you shit and nightmares, you can always turn to books and films, or others. It's only just a flip or a click away.


P.S. I (Not) Love You:
Contrary to popular beliefs, ahem, I mean contrary to my own expectations, I did not cry like a baby when I watched P.S. I Love You. Maybe because I watched it on DVD and I got so many distractions from people around me that the mood wasn't built well enough (try concentrating on a movie with someone nagging you and ranting on to you every second). On the other hand, I cried when I watched The Nanny Diaries. The part when Grayer was chasing the taxi that took Anny away with force is just heartbreaking. Out of all 3 movies, I found 27 Dresses as most entertaining, The Nanny Diaries as most eye-spoiling (great art direction, the transition from statues to humans and vice versa in the museum is superb), and P.S. I Love You as sweetest and most romantic (of course). Now I feel like reading the books (I've never read a chicklit before).

P.P.S. : I love love loveee Gerard Butler!

Abang Tukang Bakso, Mari-Mari Sini...

Di suatu siang yang panas terik, terlihat dua orang wanita pekerja yang fashionable (ciyeh) sedang duduk-duduk santai di sebuah gerai kopi internasional di sekitar gedung perkantoran di Kuningan. Ceritanya sih, 'melarikan diri' dari kantor saat jam makan siang heheheh... Lalu mengalirlah pembicaraan ngalor-ngidul super nggak penting di antara keduanya.

Wanita pertama (yang manis dan cute as a button):
"Jodoh itu seperti tukang bakso."

Wanita kedua (yang cukup manis juga walaupun nggak cute as a button):
"He? Lucu banget perumpamaannya. Kenapa?"

Wanita pertama:
"Iya. Jodoh itu seperti tukang bakso. Dicari nggak pernah lewat, giliran nggak dicari malah lewat melulu. Pas lagi hawa dingin-dingin, ngidam banget makan bakso kuah yang hangat-hangat, ditunggui kagak lewat-lewat. Sekalinya hawa lagi panas-panas edan, eh bisa banyak banget yang lewat sama gerobaknya."

Wanita kedua:
"Hueheheheh... bener juga ye, bok.."

Wanita pertama:
"Sama kayak jodoh. Kalo lo nyari-nyari, nggak bakalan dapet. Kalo pas lo lagi cuek banget, nggak mikirin sama sekali, eh pada dateng, malah kadang nggak cuman satu orang aja."

Wanita kedua:
"Huahahaha..! Sumpah, bok, keren abis. Perumpamaan lo ini harus gue post di blog gue hari ini."

The Skinny Obsession

I have to admit, there was a time when I was very obsessed with my weight/shape. Though my obsession never led me anywhere near that ‘perfection’.

Back when I was a younger, I never really had an issue with my weight – despite being called fatty at home and was told not to snack or being denied of second helpings during mealtimes. I couldn’t care less. I was a relatively skinny girl when I was in primary school, and I gained a bit of weight on the way to secondary school. 

Then I went for a two weeks holiday trip to U.S.A. with my sister and grandparents. All we did in that tour were just sit, sleep (inside the bus), and eat – mostly in those fat-and-carb-loaded American buffets. Needless to say, I gained a (very) significant amount of weight during that short time. By the time I came back to Jakarta, I've put in an additional 6 kg. 

Guys vs Presents

I couldn't agree more. It is really hard to shop for a guy's present -- at least based on my experience. Any kind of presents, be it Valentine's (if you're celebrating -- if not then that's better) or just a simple birthday present.

Thoughts and suggestions would be much appreciated. As long as you don't include high-end high-tech gadgets or cars. Hahah.. =)

Perfectly Imperfect

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

That’s what some people say. But in this ever so superficial world that we live in, I wonder if people still believe in that. Why the skeptical thought, you may say? Well, let’s just say that I’ve lived through the experience of being the ugly duckling – literally.

First, let’s define beauty, shall we? For women, I believe it is mostly about flawless porcelain skin, slim figure, long legs, flat abs, big booty, and the perfectly sculpted facial features. At least that’s what the media is feeding us from time to time.

OK, body images may change throughout time. There was a time when healthy figures were popular (remember Marilyn Monroe?). But I grew up in the era of the supermodels (Cindy, Naomi, Claudia, Christie, Helena, etc.), when slim and lean body was considered as the ideal shape. And it gets even worse now, when models get skinnier and sickly – and size 0 is considered the ideal size.