09 May 2009

reptilian surprise


We spent time watching this tiny reptile among the rounded shrubs in front of our porch in Mata-Mata. Whether it came out of its hideaway safely, we are not sure. It was nowhere to be seen again.

05 April 2009

meet me halfway...bridges2



There's something about bridge walking that thugs at my heart. It inspires thoughts of life and love as people walk together or alone.

One such walk happened yesterday when in a symbolic gesture of bridge walking, France rejoined NATO. We could walk on bridges more and have more of this kind of peacemaking gestures all over the world.

Flora Purim sang, "There are bridges made of love". It sounds cliched but we've been building steel bridges; why don't we build more of those love bridges to walk on.

photos by deviantArt

21 February 2009

an affair to remember

Does this ever happen in real life? I really love this scene. I've laughed at movie dramas partly because it was a way of disconnecting myself from the sadness. Also, I am biased towards comedies and wit and sarcasm. But this one is different...it is sacred cow...no one ever laughs at this.

06 February 2009

water onslaught

This was one of our favourites when we were growing up - Gladys Knight and the Pips singing "Neither one of us". It sort of exemplified our teenage angst, "cry me a river" kind of emotional pining.
The current weather is so gloomy that it has given us an excuse to mope. The rains are falling and the sun has not fully peeked through for two weeks(?)now. I could go on and on listening to "I always get caught in the rain" by Dionne Warwick, "Wind beneath my wings" by Bette, etc. Meanwhile I can hear the tortured "eewwws" dotting the background.

30 January 2009

85 the new 55


Ever heard of shifting retirement ages? It is likely to happen now that the global economic recession is officially declared. I and colleagues in the workplace are wondering whether our retirement will come close to 60 or will it stretch to the 90's. LOL...we are going to see us wobbling with our laptops and our walking sticks as well. The proverbial nest eggs are shrinking and the prospects of Riviera style holidays are fast fading. Well meaning people are asking us to plan resources to get us to age 100...and prepare to work until 98??

Photo by Flickr

11 January 2009

breaking barriers

28 December 2008

yzma, catwoman, eartha


Eartha Kitt had been always my favourite gal. She was one of those who defied conventions. Also, talent oozed from her. Remember the Batman on TV we used to watch? Catwoman was Eartha Kitt. Years later, she was Yzma (her voice), the villainess in The Emperor's New Groove. I laughed at this:

Yzma: Tell us where the talking llama is and we'll burn your house to the ground.
Kronk: Don't you mean "or"?
Yzma: [sighs] Tell us where the talking llama is *or* we'll burn your house to the ground.
Chaca: Well, which one is it? That seems like a pretty crucial conjunction.

I agreed with this review of her: "Yzma was Eartha Kitt and Eartha Kitt was Yzma".

She died last Christmas Day and I am going to miss that "voice", sultry, wicked and witchy.