Finished the second book of the hunger games...fast-paced...unexpected. I still have the feeling that some characters are sketchy and that there's some depth missing. Started the 3rd book and beginning to see a sort of end in sight.
It is definitely a very well written story and the idea is nicely developed, but apart from a few exceptions (Peeta&Catnip, Haymitch&Peeta&Catnip, Catnip&Cinna) there isn't much depth in the characters relationships... hoping for a better developed book3, will come back with details.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
The hunger games - the first book
Ok, so back with a bang: how else am I gonna describe posting two days in a row after such a long silence :-)...
I've just finished reading the book: definitely the movie is creepier and a lot better in creating the required atmosphere... will get back to commenting books 2&3 in the series...but for now, clearly, the director and screen writers get a lot of the credit...even though S. Collins is among them, so probably had a thing - or two to say...
I've just finished reading the book: definitely the movie is creepier and a lot better in creating the required atmosphere... will get back to commenting books 2&3 in the series...but for now, clearly, the director and screen writers get a lot of the credit...even though S. Collins is among them, so probably had a thing - or two to say...
Sunday, March 25, 2012
The hunger games - brief considerations
This is a film about a dystopian society in which most of the viewers see a teenagers murder spree (actual comments of the people around when the movie ended).
I did not read the book(s) previously, but plan to do so in the near future. The movie kept me to the edge of my seat for the whole time. Not so many emotionally charged moments, except [spoiler alert] Rue's death...but the movie did something else. It creeped me out. I just saw too much of a totalitarian society in it not to feel disturbed. The glamor of the higher society, living in luxury. The fact that they were feeling entitled. It's a world of 1984 meets big brother meets any totalitarian society from past and present. The leader cult. The prison reeducation: totalitarian societies, namely communists, having prisoners torturing other prisoners. Romanian Pitesti phenomenon or Soljenitin's Gulag's Archipelago...The best way of controlling people is by empowering lowlifes to order around and torture elites and opinion leaders... The fearless leader controlling puppets who in turn are controlling the people able to give hope and lead others out of a totalitarian regime...
This movie gave me the goose bumps, because underneath all the futuristic exaggerated dystopian society, it reminds me too much of the grim reality we've been through...and it enrages me to think other people still endure.
I am greatly curious about the books and I am looking forward to see if the movie is the work of a genius or this is a mere dial down of the book genius... so I will shortly come back with a more detailed book review...
I did not read the book(s) previously, but plan to do so in the near future. The movie kept me to the edge of my seat for the whole time. Not so many emotionally charged moments, except [spoiler alert] Rue's death...but the movie did something else. It creeped me out. I just saw too much of a totalitarian society in it not to feel disturbed. The glamor of the higher society, living in luxury. The fact that they were feeling entitled. It's a world of 1984 meets big brother meets any totalitarian society from past and present. The leader cult. The prison reeducation: totalitarian societies, namely communists, having prisoners torturing other prisoners. Romanian Pitesti phenomenon or Soljenitin's Gulag's Archipelago...The best way of controlling people is by empowering lowlifes to order around and torture elites and opinion leaders... The fearless leader controlling puppets who in turn are controlling the people able to give hope and lead others out of a totalitarian regime...
This movie gave me the goose bumps, because underneath all the futuristic exaggerated dystopian society, it reminds me too much of the grim reality we've been through...and it enrages me to think other people still endure.
I am greatly curious about the books and I am looking forward to see if the movie is the work of a genius or this is a mere dial down of the book genius... so I will shortly come back with a more detailed book review...
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
About meetings
Meetings come in all shapes and forms. Exactly like people. There's the short meeting -- or the long meeting. The interesting meeting -- the boring meeting. The productive meeting -- or the pointless meetings.
And there is the hallway meeting. This is the most productive for me, by far. Chance meetings in the loo, on the stairs, in the elevator. Change of 2-3 phrases bringing the resolution of a conflict or a firm promise of delivery of an important document.
There's also the thin meeting -- or the overflowing one.
The meeting for which you are prepared -- or the one where you watch the carpet in silence, not understanding what the hell you are supposed to be doing there.
I remember my first meetings. There was this incessant buzz in my head. "Meeting" - i would be thinking - " it is soo cool, i am sitting in a meeting". Sitting being the operative word.
I've learnt that meetings can be extremely heated. That frustrated reactions can be observed. It can be funny sitting in meetings. Or not :).
One of my favourites is the sleepy meeting. The one where an imaginary me curls up below the long meeting table and goes to sleep. I can hardly ever tell you after what the meeting was about. And they usually happen in the days following the wild nights :).
And there is the hallway meeting. This is the most productive for me, by far. Chance meetings in the loo, on the stairs, in the elevator. Change of 2-3 phrases bringing the resolution of a conflict or a firm promise of delivery of an important document.
There's also the thin meeting -- or the overflowing one.
The meeting for which you are prepared -- or the one where you watch the carpet in silence, not understanding what the hell you are supposed to be doing there.
I remember my first meetings. There was this incessant buzz in my head. "Meeting" - i would be thinking - " it is soo cool, i am sitting in a meeting". Sitting being the operative word.
I've learnt that meetings can be extremely heated. That frustrated reactions can be observed. It can be funny sitting in meetings. Or not :).
One of my favourites is the sleepy meeting. The one where an imaginary me curls up below the long meeting table and goes to sleep. I can hardly ever tell you after what the meeting was about. And they usually happen in the days following the wild nights :).
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
40 minutes!!!
...I need 40 minutes to wake up in the morning!
this has never happened before, but it is the same since last year. i am not becoming lazy. it's just that - i guess i am sleepy all the time:).
but that's not why i'm back. I'm back simply because i've been thinking lately about my first days in pwc ro as working professional. it was excruciatingly painful to go from the free student life to the confines of the working life - where i really did HAVE to wake up every day to go to work, it wasn't optional anymore :)...the very days when i lost my freedom, never to regain it...hm.
it's funny how i did not know so many simple things in the beginning :)...like how to walk from the kitchen to the terrace "to smoke" while holding a hot cup of coffee, without spilling it all on my shirt :)...whenever i walk with a hot cup of coffee in my hands i remember those first steps...i would invariably have coffee stains on me, but at least i was in glorious company.
ok, time to go, else i will miss the good coffee hours in my current client's premises :)
i will try to wake up 5 minutes earlier tomorrow to be able to tell you about meetings :)...
this has never happened before, but it is the same since last year. i am not becoming lazy. it's just that - i guess i am sleepy all the time:).
but that's not why i'm back. I'm back simply because i've been thinking lately about my first days in pwc ro as working professional. it was excruciatingly painful to go from the free student life to the confines of the working life - where i really did HAVE to wake up every day to go to work, it wasn't optional anymore :)...the very days when i lost my freedom, never to regain it...hm.
it's funny how i did not know so many simple things in the beginning :)...like how to walk from the kitchen to the terrace "to smoke" while holding a hot cup of coffee, without spilling it all on my shirt :)...whenever i walk with a hot cup of coffee in my hands i remember those first steps...i would invariably have coffee stains on me, but at least i was in glorious company.
ok, time to go, else i will miss the good coffee hours in my current client's premises :)
i will try to wake up 5 minutes earlier tomorrow to be able to tell you about meetings :)...
Friday, November 12, 2010
dark rainy day in Geneva
...the first until now. Listening to Louis Armstrong in the car for atmosphere...
You definitely have too thin walls when you know your neighbour's alarm tone.
Finally the big day to clean the new appartment arrived and perhaps tomorrow I might even move in. Still no furniture yet, hopefully there will be a max 2 weeks delay and I will have it. Already planning the housewarming party...thinking of having it for the Romanian National day, 1 December, or to have it in a wknd close to that date.
You definitely have too thin walls when you know your neighbour's alarm tone.
Finally the big day to clean the new appartment arrived and perhaps tomorrow I might even move in. Still no furniture yet, hopefully there will be a max 2 weeks delay and I will have it. Already planning the housewarming party...thinking of having it for the Romanian National day, 1 December, or to have it in a wknd close to that date.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
learning curve 3, about beer
This learning experience is about beer: i have finally found out myself that one can open a beer with anything. In my case, the candle holder. This leads me to believe that: 1. i am a hopeless alcoholic since I bought beer to drink by myself in order to sleep :); 2. that my cousin is a genious because he can open a beer with anything, but this probably takes a lot of practice (that I don't have) and an amazing desire to remove any obstacle between him and the alcohol...
In my case, this was a 30 min exercise of walking around and trying to find an edge that i can use to open the goddamned beer, since I took all my kitchen stuff to the new apartment already...
The only good thing about this whole learning experience is that the beer is effective :).
In my case, this was a 30 min exercise of walking around and trying to find an edge that i can use to open the goddamned beer, since I took all my kitchen stuff to the new apartment already...
The only good thing about this whole learning experience is that the beer is effective :).
Friday, November 5, 2010
another link of today
did not read the art, but like Mr Djuvara's hat :P
http://www.contributors.ro/cultura/intre-neagu-si-samuel/
http://www.contributors.ro/cultura/intre-neagu-si-samuel/
about Mondays
thank God it's Friday! :)
Because it seems there was a perfectly good reason why Garfield and myself positively hate Mondays:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/11/02/facebook.breakups/index.html
Because it seems there was a perfectly good reason why Garfield and myself positively hate Mondays:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/11/02/facebook.breakups/index.html
Thursday, November 4, 2010
34 or learning curve 2
Y-day evening we have been on the wine tasting boat and I have written down the assessment for 34 wines (and tasted around 40, but who's counting :) )...mostly French reds, but the highlight of the evening was in fact a German Wuertember Riesling Eiswein Nr 9 HJ Lenz from 2004. That is a fantastic wine and I am thinking of ordering 2 boxes. Unfortunately it only comes in 37,5 cl...
There were maybe 4 or 5 that I've rated 5 stars, but a few other good ones as well. I have learnt that sometimes wine needs time to mature. That does not sit well with my tendency to want EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW :). I am learning more and more things since I've moved to Suisse.
Moreover, I have already made the IKEA list for the furniture that I need to buy and the bar table and bar stools are among the first items that I need to get :).
In a different note, I am now in the process to do some research for some dress shopping opportunities for the maid of honor (or made of horror) for Gloria's wedding. We are supposed to have a girls' night out in and around Geneva to go dress shopping. I am thinking neighbouring France but also north of Italy (Milan maybe?) with Gloria, Ema, Nora and Annick.
Yeeeey, looking forward to it! and also looking forward to having my friends over to visit in my new huge appartment as soon as I am settled in by the end of November :). Need to think about organising the housewarming party...and also need to start thinking where to spend my winter holidays this year. It seems up to now that I will most likely spend my holidays in my new MSR home :).
PS: Happy happy bday Gloria! and big hugs to Peter from Maria from Geneva :P
There were maybe 4 or 5 that I've rated 5 stars, but a few other good ones as well. I have learnt that sometimes wine needs time to mature. That does not sit well with my tendency to want EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW :). I am learning more and more things since I've moved to Suisse.
Moreover, I have already made the IKEA list for the furniture that I need to buy and the bar table and bar stools are among the first items that I need to get :).
In a different note, I am now in the process to do some research for some dress shopping opportunities for the maid of honor (or made of horror) for Gloria's wedding. We are supposed to have a girls' night out in and around Geneva to go dress shopping. I am thinking neighbouring France but also north of Italy (Milan maybe?) with Gloria, Ema, Nora and Annick.
Yeeeey, looking forward to it! and also looking forward to having my friends over to visit in my new huge appartment as soon as I am settled in by the end of November :). Need to think about organising the housewarming party...and also need to start thinking where to spend my winter holidays this year. It seems up to now that I will most likely spend my holidays in my new MSR home :).
PS: Happy happy bday Gloria! and big hugs to Peter from Maria from Geneva :P
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
