A very general update

Listening to:
- Charmparticles' Alive in the Hot Spell
- Cocteau Twins' Heaven or Las Vegas
- The Very Best of the Smiths
- Andrew Bird's Complete Discography
- The New Pornographers' Electric Version
- Still cannot get enough of Death Cab's Cath... (This song is a drug - I really do have to listen to it daily)

Went to:
This year's Fete dela Musique. Not too many new musical discoveries, except for a couple of decent electronica acts. At least this year I was able to establish that my musical preferences have indeed evolved and I am now leaning more towards electronic music (I really wasn't paying much attention to the music coming from the alternative stage that night). I realise I am also reverting to my dream pop/shoegaze/space rock phase - been listening heavily to Asobi Seksu, Cocteau Twins, Azure Ray, School of Seven Bells, Charmparticles and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart recently.

Reading:
Still finishing Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. The book is divided into three sections - Italy, India and Indonesia. I hope to organise a trip to India in the short term so I can be able to fully relate to Gilbert's travel experiences.

Recently viewed movies:
- Sideways: Loved every second of it. I've decided I want to be a wine connoisseur like Paul Giamatti's character - I have always been fascinated with wines anyway. I hold very fond memories of wine and it has truly played an integral role in making many of my overseas trips very awesome. I love how the flavours dance in my mouth and how I get a more refined kind of buzz with it (whilst I always end up talking like a truck driver with beer). Now I'm seriously bent on enrolling myself in a Wine Appreciation class, nevermind if it will set me back by a fair bit of money (it is for a very good cause anyway). The day trip to the Hunter Valley two years ago did teach me a number of vital lessons on wine-tasting and wine-making but I'd really like to be able to identify the different varieties and deconstruct the ingredients as expertly as Paul Giamatti and Virginia Madsen in the movie. Sigh...would really give anything to be in Napa Valley or Bordeaux at the moment.

- Love in the Time of Cholera: Javier Bardem is king. I enjoyed his performances immensely in No Country for Old Men and Mar Adentro, and he was equally brilliant in this one as well. I must admit though that I did get slightly confused since they suddenly changed actors for the Florentino Ariza character mid-movie (the younger Florentino was heaps more gorgeous than Javier Bardem, thus the slight confusion).

- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Poetic and deeply stirring. It was a veritable visual feast from beginning to end. Incidentally, Julian Schnabel has an ongoing exhibit at the National Museum and I will not be able to forgive myself if I miss it.

- Say Anything & Pretty in Pink: They seriously do not make rom-coms like they used to anymore.

Downloading these other films as well:
- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
- Synecdoche, New York

Very stoked to:
- See the temples of Borobodur.
- Meet Sec-Gen Pitsuwan. I really do have to stop being a massive slug and start doing some serious reading soon, lest he find me horrendously dumb and uninformed and we will be reduced to talking about the weather.
- Get away. By myself.
- Reconnect with Indo friends.
- Attend my friend's wedding. My roommie will also be in town for a 10-day vacay.
- Start my new job. Not at liberty to discuss details yet, but am really keeping fingers crossed on this one.