Jerome Parisse's Blog, page 9

No Strings Attached

The last two movies I have reviewed were great. No Strings Attached is not. It's got two really good actors in it, , and , but that's not enough to make it interesting. It's in the comedy/romance genre and the plot goes something like this: Two old friends decide to become "sex buddies" and avoid the usual relationship dramas. But love is stronger than their their wills, and they find themselves in love, thereby breaking the rules they set up as they embarked on their "sex buddy" relationship. Right, flimsy plot. In fact, it's boring. And the character played by Portman, a doctor who is scared as hell of relationships is not only simplistic, it's dumb. The film was released in 2011 and was directed by

Kruger cats

Kruger National Park in the North of South Africa is a great place to spot "cats". In a matter of a few hours we were able to see several lions, cheetahs, a leopard, and jackals. The odd ones here (because they are not cats but dogs) are wild dogs (lycaon) and hyenas.

South African safari

I came back last week from a five-day safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa. I was literally blown away. It was winter and the perfect time to see animals; at that time grass is yellow and burned, so it is harder for the game to hide. And the moderate temperatures make it very comfortable. Kruger National Park itself is around two million hectares (as big as Israel). Add the private reserves and you end up with a huge area in which animals roam freely. There are roads and paths throughout the park and you can drive your own vehicle if you wish or hire a guide. Of course you are not allowed to leave the vehicle (You would not survive long), neither are you allowed to leave the designated paths (not that you would really want to…). It is quite amazing how many animals you can actually see from the road, as they come very close, sometimes onto the road itself. Hiring a guide facilitates the spotting of game as their vehicles are higher and more open, so it makes for a more interesting experience. We saw the big five (which means the five more dangerous animals for hunters: buffalo, lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros), but also giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, hippos, jackals, zebras, steenboks, wildebeests, without mentioning other gazelles, birds, and crocs of course. As for the private reserve game drives, there are two major differences which make them worthwhile: the four-wheel drive, all terrain vehicle you sit in is totally open and it goes off-road, literally… This means that you get up-close to the animals. And I mean real close: three of four metres at the most! There is a driver and a tracker, armed with a gun (not that I think it would make a huge difference if you were charged by an elephant or a herd of buffalos). The combination of private reserve game drives and Kruger exploration is really the best. I'll try to limit the number of pictures I'm going to post here, but I know it's going to be hard, so I'll write a separate post for Kruger cats.

"Leo Spencer的翅膀" (The Wings of leo Spencer) – Jerome Parisse的第一部小说…

Leo Spencer的翅膀是我的第一部小说。这是发表在2010年5月SidHarta在澳大利亚。

这里有一个关于小说的简介。

您是如何从一个可怕的命运保护您的家人和你最好的朋友，如果你死了，你能对物质世界没有印象？

十四岁的Leo找到了他妈妈的生日最令人惊讶的存在。不幸的是，有人已经决定，他不会活着看到它… …当他死了，Leo发现自己面临着一个可怕的选择，一个会影响他的生活 - 他的死亡 - 永远。

但是，谁想要他死了吗？为什么他是有针对性的邪恶力量？即使Geraldine -死，爱它 - 没有以发生了什么线索。

Leo座的对真理的探索带他到最惊人的地方，并提出了挑战，甚至比死亡更他：保护从一个可怕的命运他的家人和他最好的朋友。

您可以在www.amazon.com购买或直接在我的网站www.jeromeparisse.com小说.

电子书:www.amazon.com 或 www.smashwords.com

"身体交换" (BODY SWAP)

我的最新年轻成人小说出版了。这就是"身体交换" (BODY SWAP)。它作为电子书和平装书格式。

这里有一个关于简介的故事：

世界上第一个文字信息与对方浪漫的冒险！

William 是十三岁，最近转移到与他的父母叫Fulton一个小镇。他的姐姐Estelle一年前死于意外，他的母亲深深的悲痛中。在他的新故乡，William会见Pat，一个男孩谁爱大词和公司需要。忽然，William收到来自名为Stephanie寻求帮助一个未知的发送者的手机短信。两个男孩起初一惊，然后半信半疑，当在短信小雨Stephanie告诉他们她在附近医院昏迷。她说，她是在她的身体漂浮，需要他们的帮助进入回来。

最初怀疑的，William和Pat成为兴趣，并决定是否Stephanie说的是实话。他们设法追踪到重症监护室，在那里果然，他们发现在医院昏迷Stephanie并获得录取。在他们一筹莫展有关如何做Stephanie年底要求两个朋友在一个叫Doris呼吁女性心灵，帮助他们进入她的身体Stephanie回来。出现一个灾难性的混淆，然而，William最终被困在Stephanie的身体和关闭自己的了。

在Stephanie的身体里，William的经历困难，有时甚至幽默的情况。他学习的事情女孩一起生活，从不受欢迎的方法，以胸衣和高跟鞋。形势变得更加绝望Pat时与萧蔷爱上！

William和Pat拟订陷入各自的机构和Stephanie回William的计划，但时间是至关重要的，时间已经不多了。孩子们面临的挑战和满足真棒意想不到的敌人，同时发现在背后Estelle的死亡秘密。

网站：http://www.jeromeparisse.com/bodyswap.htm

购买平装本形式在Amazon或上Amazon或Smashwords它电子书

Parrot and Olivier in America, by Peter Carey

Parrot and Olivier in America, by Peter Carey, was nominated for the 2010 Man Booker Prize. It is loosely based on Alexis de Tocqueville's journey in America. Tocqueville was a French aristocrat who in the early 1800's wrote what was considered an influential and insightful portrait of the then young America. The book relates the American travels of Olivier de Garmont and of his English servant named Parrot. Olivier is a French aristocrat whose grandparents were guillotined during the French Revolution and whose mother sends him to America to protect his life from what she thinks is a dangerous situations for aristocrats in France. Parrot is an orphan who was taken from England to Australia and later to France by a mysterious marquis. The unlikely pair travel to America, supposedly to study prisons to provide useful information to the French Government. They will discover a new country and will record their findings, analysing the young American democracy and comparing it to the old French regime. Luckily for the book, Parrot also takes his lover and her mother with him on their journey. These two characters were my favourite in the novel, and without them, it would have been a little tedious. The story is interesting but it failed to grab me, in spite of Carey's beautiful characterisation and picturesque account of what the new world looks like. The story is told from both Olivier's and Parrot's points of view, both unreliable accounts of what's really happening. Carey uses its story to analyse and criticise cultures and political regimes. The French and the American take a good beating, whereas the English and the Australian fare better. Well written, exciting and funny at times, it failed to sustain my interest at other times. I found the beginning a little too slow, as well. It is however definitely worth the read.

Shaolin

Another very good surprise: Shaolin (released in January 2011 in Hong Kong), with nobody else than and , and directed by !

China is plunged into strife with warlords fighting against each other to expand their power. One of them is Hao Jie, extremely succesful, dangerous and obnoxious. He despises everyone, including  the Shaolin masters who live in a nearby temple. He even goes as far as killing one of his enemies on their grounds. However, Hao soon finds himself compelled to take refuge it the very same monastery, a rival having killed his family and wanting him dead. This is a revelation for Ho, who finds a new meaning in life.  As civil unrest spreads and people increasingly suffer, the monks, under Ho's impetus, decide to take action.

Chinese movies can be hit and miss, especially for Westerners, but this one is definitely a hit. The story is good, and for those who don't like kung fu, there is not much of it – in fact, it really serves the story. The plot is made even more interesting by the numerous sub-plots: Ho's love for his wife and child, and what happens to them; the enmity between Ho and his rival, a former subaltern; the meaning of live that Ho discovers in the temple; and the life of the poor and the peasants in those turbulent times. The story is complex, yet driven and simple to grasp. Images are beautiful, music is perfect. And as for the acting, no problem there. This is definitely one that I will be watching again in the near future. Don't hesitate to do the same.

The Unknown

Another series of long flights, which means I've been able to watch a few movies which I am going to review here. I've also managed to read "Parrot and Olivier in America" by Peter Carey, which had been on my to-read list for a long time. I will post a review of the book here shortly.

The first film I watched was The Unknown, featuring and . It was directed by  and was released earlier this year. I wasn't expecting much but it proved to be a pleasant surprise. Neeson plays the role of Martin Harris, a man who arrives at a bio-technology conference with his wife in Berlin. He finds himself in a car accident and wakes up from four days in a coma to find someone else in his shoes: another man has stolen his identity, and even his wife does not recognise him. He has little money, no friends, and a huge mystery to solve. To help him in this stressful situation he only has the girl who was driving the taxi when he had his accident. And there are people who want him dead. The Unknown has a very clever plot and will keep you on your toes. In fact, I guessed wrong about what had happened  until the very end. It's well done, Neeson is very good, and you won't regret watching this film. I really enjoyed it. The film is based on a novel by the same title written by Didier Van Cauwelaert.

Singapore orchids

I love the Singapore National Orchid Garden, which is part of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It is a stunning place, lush, humid… and always colourful. You can go back time and time again, and it will never be the same. Orchids flower at various times of the year so you are guaranteed an explosion of colours. There are even cold climate orchids in a separate area. You need to plan enough time for the visit, as the place is big and you cannot help stop every second metre or so to look at the flowers on display. But since a few pictures are worth a thousand words…. here you are.

Beijing Bicycle

Beijing Bicycle is a beautiful film about a 17 year old country boy who arrives in Beijing and finds work as a courier. He is given a bicycle by the company, which he is supposed to acquire after working a certain number of hours. Unfortunately his bicycle is stolen as he is about to finally own it and be in a position to make some money. This is the worst thing that could happen to him and he goes on a search for the thief. This is a stunning story about living in poverty in Beijing, teenagers growing up in a hostile environment, girls, class divisions, violence, and indifference. There is a level of desperation in the movie and it really makes you think about life and the under-privileged. Beautifully acted, with stunning music and great images, it was directed by , and premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2001. It won the Jury Grand Prix. It was banned in Mainland China until 2004.