i hope you dance

I Hope You Dance is a song, made famous by a country singer, Lee Ann Womack. So famous, it was called Womack's signature tune. It won several Grammys and made to the top of several charts in Billboard. Anyway, the song was written by Tia Sillers and Mark Sanders. On one of the interviews, Sillers said that she wrote the song while she's going through a painful divorce. She came up with the line "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean" when she's on her getaway in the Florida Gulf Coast.

The song is talking much about being brave and taking chances. In Womack's video, it appears that Womack is singing this lovely song to her daughters.
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I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

Time is a wheel in constant motion, always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
And wonder, where those years have gone

movie: fireproof


Movie: Fireproof
Directed by: Alex Kendrick

Starring: Kirk Cameron, Erin Bethea

Score: 3.0 of 5.0


Capt. Caleb Holt, a captain to a fire department, was on a rocky marriage when his father dared him to take an experiment called Love Dare to save his marriage. The experiment for 40 days did not only succeeded to save him from not getting divorced but also changed his life.

I'm not prying on my belief, but honestly to say the movie is surprisingly good. Yes, true, it has the plot of those Hallmark Channel movie series - it's tacky yet sincere and true. There are a few scenes when Kirk Cameron was trying too hard to impress me, but half way to the end of the movie, I was on his side.

It was just a perfect movie for my Sunday. To a friend, whom practices the truest form of being humble and sincere (you know who you are), I thank you.

movie: blindness


Movie: Blindness
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover
Score: 3.0 of 5.0

An epidemic of blindness attacks a city and forces its residents to be quarantined. Also joined the quarantine is an eye doctor with his wife, who is the only person who's not affected by the disease. Things began to get unsteady soon as more people were infected with the disease and naturally, there's a group that tried to have control over food because they owned a gun. As the ward got chaotic, the whole city was shut down.

Because of a fire accident, they found themselves free from the quarantine and in time, the first man who went blind suddenly could see. It gave hopes to the rest of the others. Mereilles chose not to tell much about the global effects of the epidemic, but he focused on this group of people. He didn't even bother to explain why, what or how.

Blindness was one of the official selection movies in the Cannes Festival last year. Although Blindness is not really terrible, it did not achieve the recognition Mereilles' previous movie did, The Constant Gardener. I guess, most of the credits must go to Julianne Moore. This woman will never do anything wrong. (Well, almost ... we forgive you for being Clarice Sterling!)

movie: happy-go-lucky


Movie: Happy-go-Lucky
Directed by: Mike Leigh
Starring: Sally Hawkins
Score: 4.5 of 5.0

I have heard so much about this movie since last year and it’s on the list of the movies I must watch. I was very excited when I heard they’re going to show it on the last Jakarta International Film Festival, but unfortunately I was not able to watch it. Anyway, Blitz megaplex has already has Happy-go-Lucky in their midnight showing, so I guess that’s good news.

Happy-go-Lucky is about an eccentric preschool teacher named Poppy Cross (from Pauline, it depends on which turn you on, she said). Despites her kindness and her positive cheerful ways of looking at life, life is still life, unfortunately. The angry driving instructor, the troubled student, the heartbroken flamenco dance instructor and her hormonal pregnant sister do the tricks to make Poppy human that can be sad, like the rest of us.

But with her excessive jewelries and crazy patterned stockings, Poppy, always an optimist, manages to come back to her feet and make the world a happier place. Just as simple as that, this movie is not only funny but also witty.

Sally Hawkins just won the Golden Globe she deserves for playing Poppy. I truly cannot see anyone else should win, but her. (I love Meryl Streep and MammaMia!, but being nominated for that role … I mean, come on!).

There are actors that are just lucky enough to really play the perfect role. It’s so perfect that it’s almost impossible to have other actors to replace them. Can you see anyone else be Forrest Gump, but Tom Hanks? Or Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich? Or in this movie, Sally Hawkins as Poppy Cross.

a letter from a friend


Last Christmas, a friend of mine gave me this wonderful book, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which I have not yet finished reading it. So unique, the Guernsey was written as a series of letters. Therefore, I came up with this idea to post one of my friend’s e-mails, not only because I think it’s lovely, but it’s also important. Of course, I have asked for her permission and yes, I did change names. I always enjoy reading e-mails from friends and I hope you will enjoy this one too.
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Dear Alex,
I haven’t seen you for a while. I was out shopping today and I saw those little Chinese dumplings. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I was thinking about Sundays in Philly. I remember the brunch we used to have at that no-sign Chinese restaurant. Do you know that Charlie got fired? I know, crazy, isn’t it?

Anyway, what are you up to lately? We really need to catch up! I hope you do well. Yeah, I’m still working at the old office and I’m pretty bored. I did try to get a new job, but sometimes I feel that it’s inappropriate for someone my age to hunt for another job. Even if I did, I would only end up doing the same thing.

You know how much I love travelling and arts. I would just die if I could find something related to either. Do you think it’s not too risk-taking to change career at this point of my life? Yes, I’m not yet married and the only stomach I must worry is mine, but do you think it’s just too outrageous to do something totally different? In other side, I feel small and invisible being who I am now. It’s totally a “you-cannot-win” situation or “you-cannot-be-rich” situation. The thing is: I don’t want to be rich. LOL.

Sometimes when I think about my work, I also think about him (you do know who). I really miss him, Alex. Well, the truth is I don’t really miss him “miss him”, but I miss being with someone. I miss getting stupid texts asking me what I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I miss someone saying that it’s crazy for me to lose some weight, although I do need to lose some weight.

I feel like the ugliest duckling most of the time (damn that Anderson’s stupid tale!). I think that’s why I like to take a long shower. I am hoping that the water would wash off some of the fat I got and I would magically come out of the shower being as skinny as those European models (this doesn’t make sense, does it?). I know it’s silly and exhausting. I guess no man would look at me and think that I’m his soulmate. It’s quite depressing and true. You’re not going to start sending another Coelho’s book, are you? I know you like the man, but I don’t think he has written anything good since The Alchemist and the Fifth Mountain.

Anyway, what are you reading now? I’m currently reading the Maya Angelou’s autobiography which seems impossible to finish. I guess I’m not that smart! LOL!

Arghh, I miss you a lot, Alex. I miss us hanging out together. I miss being around friend where I can be me. Darn, please promise that you will visit me soon. Hey, are you still going on that trip in April? Let me know, yeah. Take care.

XOXOXO,
Julia

the globes and the rain


For almost three mornings now, it rained. Honestly, it has been one difficult week for me to wake up and be ready for work. I was late on Wednesday and the only reason, I was on time on Tuesday is maybe I was happy that Kate Winslett won the globes the night before.

Anyway, talking about the Globes, this year is kind of exciting. I'm happy that Kate won and a bit sad that Penélope Cruz and Mary-Louise Parker did not. I surprisingly love Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It's nice that Mickey Rourke thanked his dogs during his acceptance speech for the best actor in the drama category.

first day at work in 2009

Today is the first day of work in 2009. Jakarta had a little rain this morning, which made everything even perfect ... for one not to go to work (HAHAHA). But I was militant and I got my butt out of bed and put on my uniform and marched to work.

It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It's actually fun to go back to work. I really do miss my desk, my computer (yes, includes the monitor which sometimes shut down for no reason *give me a week, am so going to smash it*) and being busy. Specially, I do miss my friends at work. We haven't seen each other for more than 2 weeks. Some of them did go somewhere for holidays (Cici put my sleepy face to envy with her traveling stories to Singapore and Malaysia, or Pak Harun traveled around the island with his motorbike), or had some extraordinary experiences during the long break.

Anyway, in short, I'm so excited about going back to work and yes, I do miss my bed right now. And what would I have for lunch today, I wonder?