Been a while...

Done quite a bit of stuff. My birthday went well, can't believe I'm old enough to drive now... How weird. It's kind of cool but kind of intimidating in the fact that I wouldn't trust myself in a car.
But yeah, birthday at TGIs, nice prezzies, lovely company. Saw Kat after a long time.
Finished college yesterday. Learnt about the impossible quiz which is rather cool (just search it on google). Watched Thunderbirds (well, most of) this morning. The movie with real people. Very good. Love Lady Penelope. And Tintin. Awesome. Had the youth xmas dinner tonight. Quite good. Fairly nice food. Pathetic yorkshire puddings, looked really weird and tasted like cardboard. But oh well, can't have everything; was still fun. Got my secret santa present - necklace, and considering it had to be under £5, I can be sure it's not a particularly good one, lol. Not my style really may give it away, nice thought though. Got shower gel stuffs last year. Rather typical 'safe' girly things, which makes sense considering the fact that the presents were coming from clueless teenage males. 'Safe' is good. Some of the other presents were rather interesting. I thought the one I gave was quite interesting - Bite the Bullet game (see on Firebox). Also, Rich got a microscope thingy and Phillip got a liquid powered clock which was rather exciting.
Felt rather bitchy tonight after the dinner. Tired, still wearing high heels, had to traipse around a supermarket, am currently having a shouting match with my mother. There was no boxercise this week so am feeling particularly violent. Mother still going on. Trying to block it out.
Anyway, must escape. Shall go to bed. Merry Christmas.

Everybody needs somebody to hate – Jeremy Elwood, NZ

Rather funny song on 'The World Stands Up' site. See here.
Thought I'd put the lyrics up, lol. Most are right, some I wasn't sure of but yeah. It's cool.

[Little speaking bit]

Just like everybody needs someone to love, we all need someone to hate,
New Zealand’s got Australia, Canada’s got the States
The Scottish have the English, India’s got Pakistan
And the way things have been working out we all hate Afghanistan

All the Chinese hate the Taiwanese but they’re hated by Tibet
Germany screwed up years ago and we haven’t forgiven them yet
Turkey, Greece are racking around, have caused a lot of bother
And the Irish felt a bit left out ‘til they learned to hate each other

So if you know what’s good for you, you’d better find yourself an enemy,
It keeps us together and it has done throughout history,
It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you do,
You have to hate somebody ‘cause somebody sure hates you

The Russians are pretty friendly now but they used to hate the Yanks,
Switzerland is neutral unless you try to touch their banks
Israel hates Palestine so much they can’t share a country
And America just hates who it wants but these days so do we!

Who we hate and why we do it changes with the seasons,
Someone out there’s dreaming up a cause to hate Norwegians,
But, one country rises up, it’s the mark the sets the bench,
You know, it doesn’t matter where you travel to, everybody hates the French

Before you know which side you’re on, before you choose who’s won,
Just remember, a little hatred never hurt no one,
And it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you do,
You have to hate somebody ‘cause somebody sure hates you,
Yes, you have to hate someone ‘cause someone… sure… hates… (everybody you ready) you!

Present list

People keep asking me what I want for Christmas and/or my birthday. I don't know! I think of things but never remember. I shall start a list here that will grow a little if I remember more things.

• Money [Always good, simple]
• Vouchers for books/music/dvds/stationary/art stuff/cinema
• Thinking Putty
• 13-in-1 Multi Tool Pen
• Any 'Full House' dvds
• X-men 3 dvd
• Good dvds in general...
• Despairwear T-shirt [Shock Hazard, 'Knock Knock' (Death), 'I demand justice...']
• Tamora Pierce books: Trickster's Queen, Terrier, Bloodhound, The Will of the Empress, Squire [Protector of the Small Quartet - cartoony illustration], Any of the Immortals quartet...
• CDs - The Lads, Cascada, Skillet, Switchfoot, Stacie Orrico, Leigh Nash, etc. [any really - the Lads have got a sale thing on, woo! Love 'Life of Mine']
• Chocolate [Ok, so it's not good for me. But it's so tasty!]
• Pretty bag big enough to be used as a bag for holding A4 things and possibly as a swimming bag (fit towel and clothes).
• Any random funny books [Either funny-haha or funny-peculiar, doesn't really matter, lol]
• Ticket to NZ [Yeah ok, maybe not. Goody goody gumdrop ice cream, L&P or NZ chocolate? - so unfortunate that my favourite ice cream isn't sold in this country :(]
• Punching bag [Again, maybe not, but it's a cool idea!]
• Scrapbooking/Craft/Girly-type/Brio/Other magazine subscription
• For all those lovely student friends of mine - random cheap something or nothing at all, really don't mind, the main thing I want is the pleasure of your company :) [So you'd better get to my birthday dinner Becky! Or Else. With Capital Letters. :P]

Um yeah. Will come back. Need sleep now. Hope this is useful to anyone stuck on present-stuff and annoyed with me going "I don't know, just don't get me anything...".

Things I would like to do sometime in my life

• Boxing/Self-defense [Well, this was an aim before, now I'm doing boxercise which counts I suppose, would still like to do some other sort of fighting classes though]
• Create wire jewellery [I would like to make a tiara someday, would be coolies...]
• Learn/teach myself calligraphy
• Learn a foreign language
• Create a silk painting
• Make an item of clothing [N.B. Learn how to use a sewing machine...]
• Get married and have children [Or just live to be a kidnapping spinster]
• Knit something interesting/substantial [I've knitted a couple of scarves before but I want to knit something exciting, like a piggle hat, 6-sleeved jumper or life-size elephant :P]
• Make a scrapbook of memories
• Play sports again [Netball, swimming, badminton... I miss them :(]
• Buy the whole 'Full House' set of dvds [I grew up on Full House! Loves.]
• Read all Discworld books by Terry Pratchett [Except the sciency ones, I didn't find those particularly enthralling... you never know, I may learn to like them]
• Try learning Quenya? [Dialect of Elvish]
• Actually read the other Tolkein books that I couldn't get stuck into before [The Silmarillion etc.]
• Read all books by Tamora Pierce [Absolutely ADORE her books]
• Get a job in arty stuff
• Visit and/or be involved in Weta Workshop [Not sure if this one will happen... but they're so amazing!]
• Be involved in a [good] film [Behind the scenes - arty stuff, or something]
• Eat goody-goody gumdrop ice cream again [This one will probably happen]
• Paint a really, really, really, really realistic painting [Dutch artists of the 17th century have truly ridiculous detail. I wish.]
• Own a cushtie!

Keep an eye on this. It will grow.

Stupid Winter

Cold. Dark.
Was at church at 5.00pm, looked out the window and saw pitch black. Seriously ridiculous.
*sigh*

Brief update

Yeah, just wrote that huge Pride and Prejudice spiel below :). Great stuff.
In general, I've not had time to blog, have been very consumed with a huge amount of college work, especially the never-ending art which I appear to have lost interest in. Unfortunate that art is what I'm planning to do at Uni...
Gotta go to church soon, I'm on welcome. Church is at 4.00pm today because of something to do with the caretaker or whatever... it's ridiculous that the sun seems to already be slowly setting at this time of day! *sigh* Annoyingness.
Really need to get some work done on my art tonight...
But I have read my history material, done my maths homework (which was rather difficult) and written my Psychology essay in the last two days so I'm fairly happy with what I've got done.
Also recently I've re-watched some of 'A Knight's Tale' (excellent - and Heath Ledger is rather good looking, lol.), watched 'Bridget Jone's Diary', seen most of 'Saving Private Ryan' (Fast-forwarded when it got repetitive - though war is like that isn't it) and rewatched a little of '10 things I hate about you', which since my last blog in October has become one of my favourite films. Also watched a lot of 'Whose line is it anyway' which is a fantastic comedy show which I adore, and which keeps me fairly happy. Also re-read the 'Protector of the Small' series by Tamora Pierce in the last two days. And read a book about making paper aeroplanes. And skimmed 'The Prophecy of the Gems' by Flavia Bujor (who began it aged 12). Done quite a few crosswords and Sudokus.
Wow, it really does seem that I waste a hell of a lot of time... I suppose it doesn't seem like so much when I think about the fact that I often multi-task but still... I should really have got more work done.
And my myspace layout has been spazzing if I try to change it so I'm forever going to have the same 'information about me' up. Though that's not so annoying now I've not really been on myspace...
Mum bought a guitar which I have been vaguely playing with, can now play the chords of A, D and E - consequently can play 'heel and toe' (a kids song mum used to play for the sunday school, lol) and the background to 'Behaviour' by Majandra Delfino (significantly more interesting than heel and toe).
Have been doing Boxercise once a week for the last few weeks, rather fun. Can now do 8 types of punches (well, technically 4 but from each side - they call them by numbers up to 8), plus front kick, front knee and roundhouse kick. Rather enjoyable. Very achy the next day though. Found that songs by Cascada have a good beat for boxing.
Yeah. Anyway. I've gotta go get ready for church. Bye-de-bye.

Pride and Prejudice

Yesterday night, from sometime between 8 and 9 pm until somewhere between 1 and 2 am I watched the 6 hour BBC TV version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle; it was so enthralling that I didn’t even realise how long it was until it was finished! This is going to be a very long blog about my opinion of the BBC version compared to the recent film version starring Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen with probably some slight additions commenting on the book.

Hmm, I suppose I shall write this in sections to be vaguely organised…

Characters

NB: When I speak of the actors and actresses take note that if I criticise them I do not mean that they are terrible, simply that I do not really like them in this particular role; I may still think they’re great in other films/roles.

• Elizabeth Bennet – I’m not sure which actress I prefer overall but there are various aspects which I will mention later on about ways in which the actress portrayed parts of the story; I thought both were brilliant in this role. Also, I thought both spoke with almost the same voice, pitch, tone and everything… it was a bit odd.
• Mr. Darcy – I think that for this role I preferred Colin Firth, he has a fantastic way of slightly smiling that still portrays a kind of cold disdainful appearance but you know he’s really quite amused/interested/thinking about Lizzie :P
• Mr. Bennet – I liked both Mr. Bennets’ about equally I think, both were very good in the part.
• Mrs. Bennet – Both were good though I think I prefer Brenda Blethlyn (Film).
• Jane Bennet – I prefer Rosamund Pike (Film) in this role, I think that Susannah Harper (BBC) seemed a little bland in terms of her acting though it must be taken into account that Jane is supposed to be the sort who doesn’t display her feelings openly.
• Mary Bennet – Both were good, don’t have a preference.
• Kitty Bennet – I think I preferred Carey Mulligan (Film), though this may be down to the fact that I generally like Carey Mulligan, especially as Sally Sparrow in Doctor Who…
• Lydia Bennet – I prefer Jena Malone as Lydia though only by a short stroke, I thought both her and Julia Sawalha were fantastic.
• Mr. Bingley – I liked both, not sure of a preference…
• Caroline Bingley – I think that Kelly Reilly (Film) was my preferred actress for this role, I thought Anna Chancellor (BBC) was good too but I’ve also seen her in a couple of other similarly toned roles which may have swayed my judgement.
• Mrs. Hurst – Okay, so there was no Mrs. Hurst in the Film version, but I just thought I’d say that she was brilliant in the BBC version. Mr. Hurst I was fairly indifferent to.
• Charlotte Lucas – Claudie Blakley (Film) is my favourite of the two actresses, I just didn’t really like the BBC’s Lucy Scott, I thought her not right for the part.
• Mr. Collins – Both were equally good in the part I think, though I may perhaps have a slight preference for Tom Hollander (Film).
• Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner – Both sets were good, I particularly liked Mrs. Gardiner from the BBC version because of her obvious understanding of Elizabeth Bennet, both Mr. Gardiners’ were good.
• Mr. Wickham – Probably inclined to like Adrian Lukas (BBC) more though that may be down to the fact that Wickham seems more involved in that one. Thought it was a bit weird how he was going around spreading news of his ‘misfortune’ when I thought it was only told to a few who spread it themselves.
• Col. Fitzwilliam – Both good, think I preferred the BBC’s Anthony Calf a little.
• Georgiana Darcy – Tamzin Merchant (Film) was better in my opinion, more openly affectionate, and just lovely.
• Lady Catherine de Bourgh – It’s gotta be Judi Dench, both were fairly similar in acting style but come on, it’s Judi Dench, lol.

Anyway, I’d better stop now before I start describing ‘the man on the left in that dancing scene’ or something, lol.

General

• BBC – I liked how they referred to Elizabeth as ‘Eliza’, as they did in the book.
• I liked the costumes from the film more, though I think I preferred the main male characters’ costumes from the BBC version. The settings were both beautiful.
• I really don't like how Jane's hair in the BBC version is all curly at the front and straightish at the back. It looks really weird.
• I loved how in the BBC version they had sort of flashbacks or voiceovers overlaying a character’s thoughts; I assume they wouldn’t have been able to do this in the film version even if they wanted to, due to time constraints.
• I completely adore the scenes in the BBC version when Mr. Darcy just watches Lizzie, or when they share glances and catch each other’s eye for a moment or two. Reminds me of how one of my favourite scenes from ’10 things I hate about you’ is just when Bianca walks past Cameron in the hallway and they just look at each other (to some good music).

Scenes

• The scenes between Lizzie and Jane I think were much better done by Keira and Rosamund; they showed real affection and openly displayed the girls’ close relationship.
• I like how in the scene when Lizzie and Mr. Darcy dance together the film version includes a section where it is just them dancing with no other dancers around – this shows their thoughts are wholly on each other.
• When Mr. Collins proposes to Lizzie I like how in the film version her mother and sisters are listening at the door (as they also do in some other scenes). I also think that this scene of proposal was better done in the film version.
• The scene when Lizzie refuses Mr. Collins and is reprimanded by her mother but congratulated by her father is better done in the film version I believe.
• The declaration of Mr. Darcy’s love was done better in the BBC version I think, the film version was odd but also quite good.
• I liked how in the BBC version Lizzie bumped into Mr. Darcy on her walks, as she did in the book rather than Mr. Darcy coming to visit more times.
• I think that the bit when Lizzie agrees that Mr. Darcy is quite handsome (when looking at the painting/sculpture of him) is better done in the film version; this is because in the BBC version it seems as if she is quickly forcing it out just to seem polite or something whereas in the film version it seems like she’s really contemplating it/him.
• The scene where Lizzie sees Mr. Darcy at Pemberley was done in two very different ways but I think that both were very good. I loved how in the film version Lizzie witnessed Mr. Darcy’s affection towards his sister and how in the BBC version there is that sort of awkwardness and then loveliness. J
• I preferred the scene between Lady Catherine and Lizzie in the film version though both versions were fairly similar.
• The scene between Mr. Darcy and Lizzie when she tells him her feelings have changed, I think is better in the BBC version.
• The scene at the end between Lizzie and Mr. Bennet I preferred from the film version, I think there was more emotion between them.
• I much prefer the ending of the BBC version overall.

Well, I’m sure there is more to say but currently I can’t remember anything…
Overall I think I prefer the BBC version because it allows more time to understand and create depth within the characters though unfortunately it is rare that I would have 6 hours in which to watch it.

I love Jane Austen’s novels and I think that Pride and Prejudice has got to be my favourite. Other novels of hers that I’ve read are Sense and Sensibility (of which I’ve also seen the film with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet) and Northanger Abbey (of which I’ve also seen most of the TV version). I don’t recall whether I’ve read Mansfield Park, I don’t think I’ve managed to yet, but I’m sure I will eventually. I don’t remember whether or not I’ve read Persuasion, I think I haven’t… I have seen some of the BBC TV version of it though. I’ve also seen Emma (most of the BBC version with Kate Beckinsale – didn’t really like it -, and all of the film version with Gwyneth Palthrow – loved it), I did start reading the book but I don’t think I ever got around to finishing it…

Anyway, back to my conclusion… Both versions of Pride and Prejudice are very good, the book is excellent; and if you have not seen or read them I suggest that you do.