Danderma's Blog, page 67

Movie Review: The Life of Pi

The last movie I’ve seen in 2012 was “The Life of Pi”. The story about a teenage boy who immigrated from India with his family and the animals of their zoo on board a Japanese ship heading to Montreal only to become lost at sea with the company of a tiger, a vicious dangerous hungry tiger that is.

The movie is sensational. The story is fast paced, I watched it in a 3D IMAX theatre and what I’ve seen on screen was spectacular! I wasn’t in that much awe before since I’ve seen Avatar in a 3D IMAX (post) but this time I know this is on planet earth and that we can, indeed, experience such beauty. I loved the sad irony of the situation Pi found himself in and it was bitterly funny at some moments. Pi does seem to have the worst luck ever.

The ending? I won’t spoil it for you but it might leave your mouth hanging open and you will keep re-thinking it even after you’ve left the cinema. A good movie indeed.

Of course my movie experience would have been much better had the two yapping girls catching up on their lives next to me not stopped talking. I don’t understand why people around here think that its OK to talk all movie long about their lives. If you need to meet friends and catchup, believe me the movie theatre is NOT the place for you. A cafe would’ve been more suitable and much more private. We should have VIP 3D IMAX theatres for these kinds of movies.

I would highly recommend the movie but I think watching it in 3D IMAX added to its magic. I’m not sure I want to watch it on DVD in a normal screen though, like Avatar. I’ve never been able to re-watch Avatar on TV ever since I’ve seen it on the 3D IMAX so if you want to really enjoy it do it now while its still playing.

Book Review: Julie & Julia, My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

I’ve never heard about either Julie or Julia before I saw the movie “Julie/Julia” on board a BA plane heading to London. Its become a favorite movie of mine and I’ve seen it 20 times since, last time was a last weekend btw. Intrigued, I got myself both the Julia Child memories of her year in france and Julie Powell’s book.

I began with Julie’s book first, that was perhaps on March 2012. I finished it yesterday evening. In between I’ve read numerous books, including Julia Child’s own memoir, and seen the movie several times. I kept the book by my night stand alone so I could finish it whether I like it or not and finally I finished it.

It’s not the case that it’s a bad book, it’s quite funny actually, but for some reason there was too much going on in one page, jumping from one situation to the next and too much words uttered out in one sentence, it made me dizzy. I kept losing my concentration and giving up, I didn’t get the feeling that I was pulled into the pages and in my mind I kept comparing it with the movie -good adaptation by the way-. The description of the accumilating sticky dirt and cats hair while trying to cook around it didn’t help matters much either.

There is also the matter of the ending too. The words “The End” appeared several time in the last pages that I wanted to scream out loud. I know it’s supposed to be funny, or bubbly as the spirit of the book in general was, but it got really annoying. I kept comparing it to the ending from the movie, where Julie gathers up her friends and hosts a rooftop dinner, now that was a project’s closure. I didn’t find such defined closure in the book and the repetitive “The End” blurred the closure even more to me. But again, there is no such thing as closure to an ongoing real life isn’t it?

I guess its one of those situations where a movie ruined the book experience for me, a first in my life for sure. The movie didn’t ruin my experience of Julia’s memoirs though (post). Julie Powell’s book however is going on my bookshelf and I would recommend it if you are interested for sure. After all, its not everyday that a fellow blogger turns their experience into a book deal and a movie adaptation!

LoFat Vegetarian Diet -Day 18

 

Day 18 is here and is the last dieting day in 2012. Which should be a good and encouraging thing that I’m ending the year being on a diet   However, the menu is exactly the same as day 4 (post) so it would be pointless to repost it again now isn’t it?

Do enjoy the last day of 2012! 2013 is upon us and I wish you all a happy, prosperous, healthy year surrounded by the people you love

To learn more about LoFat’s diet menu plans you can call them 22250650 on ,check their website (link), like their facebook page (link), follow them on Twitter (@LoFatGroup), or instagram (@LoFatGroup).

My 12 Favourite Movies of 2012

I just finished watching the Avengers movie for the 100th time. When the credits rolled I sighed in happiness and told myself that Hollywood doesn’t make good movies like these anymore. Then I remembered the Hobbit which is equally good if not better, then I remembered a whole bunch of good movies I’ve seen in 2012! Perhaps Hollywood’s dry spell is being nourished again? Lets see, my 12 favourite, really good you can watch them again and again must buy on DVD movies of 2012 are:

The Avengers. I can’t get enough. I’m watching it over and over and over and still can’t get enough.
The Hobbit. I knew I wanted to watch it, I didn’t know I’d want to go watch it again whenever I thought of the cinema! Might very well watch it two more times before its release on DVD. (post).
Skyfall. Even though I think its been going downhill ever since Daniel Craig began playing the part of James Bond and I never liked any of his movies, Skyfall was brilliant! Starting from Adele’s opening song until the end with the bulldog bequest!
Men in Black III. And I wasn’t even a fan of MIB to start with! I was nearly dragged to the cinema to see it only to love love LOVE it and go back to watch the first MIBs. Still don’t like the second one much. (post).
The Hunger Games. I like it when I hear about a movie with so much hype, I watch it, fall in love with it, and then go buy the books and love them even more! I can’t wait for the other movies (post).
The Dark Night Rises. I loved the first movie, I hated the second, and almost skipped the third but when I saw it I was impressed indeed. I’ve seen it twice since and I still want to see it again
Brave. Another movie I’ve been dragged to see and ended with me falling in love with it. I still think the curly head stubborn princess is the closest Disney character to my heart. It will be grazing my DVD shelves soon (post).
Anna Karenina. I loved the movie even though many hated it and thought it was boring. As I was sitting in the cinema I actually saw many people leaving, but what do they know! It was sensational.
21 Jump Street. Many might disagree with me but who cares? Its my list and out of all the comedies I’ve watched in 2012 this one is what made me laugh the most. I still laugh when I remember some scenes and its already there on my DVD shelf (post).
Dream House. And this is my favourite horror movie of 2012 and surprise surprise, the star is Daniel Craig. I think I won’t mind him anymore in 2013 and beyond (post).
This Means War. A chick flick must be in order and if I have to choose a favourite in 2012 then its this one. Funny, chick flicky, and already sitting proudly on my DVD shelves (post).
Prometheus. I liked this movie a lot but it made the list because its my husband’s favourite. Especially the ending! By the way, we saw it on board a BA flight because it was banned in Kuwait.

 

Turns out there were quite a few good movies in 2012! What about you? What are your 12 favourites movies of 2012?

LoFat Vegetarian Diet – Day 17

Day 17 is here and it started with, Zaatar croissant with fruit skewers, low fat Laban (buttermilk), and black coffee.

The Zaatar croissant was good but I really, really, don’t understand LoFat’s portions. Yesterday’s cheese croissant was tiny, today’s Zaatar croissant was very big! Oh well, the more the merrier

Lunch was mushroom risotto with a side of Nachos salad. Both I’ve reviewed before and both I like very much.

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Dessert was Malay dessert with white tea.

The best way to describe the malay desserts is that its like a date cheesecake slice. If you are a fan of dates, you will adore this dessert. Its really nice.

Dinner was potato in tomato sauce with bread and creamy cheddar and vegatables soup.

The potato in tomato sauce was nice. Its like an Indian potato 7amsa but it can get quite boring if you keep eating one 7amsa after the other for dinner.

The creamy cheddar soup was a bit weird. Taste wise it was really good. Texture wise? Exactly like a pot of melted cheddar cheese you’d pour on top of nachos! I should have done that, toasted the bread of the potatoes and pour the cheese soup on top to have a makeshift nachos.

Day 17 was very delicious indeed and the days are flying by very quickly. The count down is officially underway.

To learn more about LoFat’s diet menu plans you can call them 22250650 on ,check their website (link), like their facebook page (link), follow them on Twitter (@LoFatGroup), or instagram (@LoFatGroup).

 

 

 

LoFat Vegetarian Diet – Day 16

 

Day 16 of the LoFat vegetarian diet started with a breakfast of a small cheese croissant with fruit skewers, low fat Laban (buttermilk), and black coffee.

Its my first LoFat croissant and I have to say I had a good time devouring it even thought the portion was tiny.

For lunch I got a vegetable pie with Nachos and beans salad -my favourite-.

The vegetable pie was nice but I personally am not much of a savoury pie fan. If you love savoury pies this dish is for you.

For dessert I got the Crepe with banana filling again. You may remember it from day 2 (post).

For dinner I got baked vegetables with cheddar cheese and bechamel with a Vegetable Tom Yum Soup.

The baked vegetables, though they didn’t look appetising at all, were extremely good and very warming for the winter time.

The soup however was horrendous. It must be the worst thing I’ve ever received from LoFat and. It smelled very bad because of whatever spice they used and it was too spicy. Needless to say I didn’t eat it and it wasn’t the best end to day 16. Word of advice? Stay away from the Tom Yum soup!

To learn more about LoFat’s diet menu plans you can call them 22250650 on ,check their website (link), like their facebook page (link), follow them on Twitter (@LoFatGroup), or instagram (@LoFatGroup).

LoFat Vegetarian Diet – Day 15

Day 15 of LoFat vegetarian diet is here. Which also marks the start of the second week of my dieting and starts the count down. Only 13 more days of LoFat dieting experience to go! I hope I’m doing a somewhat decent job reporting my trial.

Breakfast was the same as day one’s breakfast. A few spoonfuls of fool (mashed fava beans) with fruits skewers, low fat Laban (buttermilk), and white tea. I didn’t have a chance to properly photograph my first breakfast meal on day one so I photographed it again.

For lunch I got creamy farfale pasta with vegetables and a Greek lentils and feta cheese salad.

The pasta was very light and nice. I was craving truffle cream pasta so I added a drop of white truffle oil, a tiny drop, to the pasta and it made a big difference in taste. It felt like I was having lunch in a restaurant or something. My craving was satisfied instantly.

The salad was fresh, crunchy, and good.

For dessert I got a Nutella biscuit chocolate and white tea.

The biscuit was very good and chocolatey. I liked it. But it doesn’t taste like Nutella at all. I’m not complaining as I’m not a fan of Nutella to start with but Nutella fans might be disappointed if they don’t detect the distinctive Nutella taste in the biscuit.

For Dinner I got the chickpea stew with rice and the mushroom millet soup. Both I’ve reviewed before. The last time LoFat delivered the mushroom millet soup without the cheesy garlic bread and I thought it was a mistake. This time they didn’t include it as well

Day 15 of LoFat dieting went smoothly and the count down has begun! Days fly by past and before you know it it will be day 28! I can still taste the farfale pasta with my customisation of truffle oil

To learn more about LoFat’s diet menu plans you can call them 22250650 on ,check their website (link), like their facebook page (link), follow them on Twitter (@LoFatGroup), or instagram (@LoFatGroup).

 

Movie Review: Jack Reacher

A bloody shooting in the USA by a seemingly crazed and vengeful ex- army sniper had taken place at the beginning of the movie and less than 24 hours later the sniper was caught. When questioned regarding his shooting motives, he writes only one sentence: “Get Jack Reacher”.

The sniper is put into a coma when a group of inmates hit him while transferred to prison and may never wake up. Who is Jack Reacher? How did the sniper know him and why did he call upon him for help? That’s what the detective, the DA, the lawyer, and Jack Reacher himself are trying to find out.

Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher by the way. I enjoyed watching the movie, there were a few twists and revelations, a few shots here and there, a couple of fight scenes, and a sweet loving attraction. Then everything was resolved and the ending is unexpected. But overall the movie wasn’t that great. It was OK, I expected more from Tom Cruise, something like Minority Report for example but the movie wasn’t amazingly good. It was OK. The kind of movie you watch once in the cinema with popcorn, enjoy it there, then leave the cinema and don’t expect you want to watch it again. Not going to add it to my DVD collection anytime soon.

Magnolia Bakery’s Opening in Kuwait

Last week I posted about the softest yummiest invite I got from Magnolia Bakery Kuwait for their opening (post). Yesterday was the opening in Al-Hamra night and I have to say it was a night of wicked temptation indeed. What’s a girl on a diet to do when you are smothered by the aroma of freshly baked goodies? Give in wasn’t an option sadly

After being greeted at the door and let inside the place was chaos. Cupcake and sugar chaos that is, the good kind of course. Everywhere you looked you saw something sugary and yummy beckoning you over to try and ruin your diet. The first thing we were greeted with was this tray of cups. The famous Magnolia Banana Pudding! Yum!

Next was a table filled to the brim with goodies. If I weren’t on a diet I would have attacked that table.

Next I passed by the bakery’s dessert display and mamma mia all my loved desserts were there, waiting for me to end my diet and and go back for them

There was a table with an expert Magnolia froster who frosted cupcakes in a blink of an eye. Each cupcake beautified with a perfect signature Magnolia frosting swirl. You could try your hand at frosting too.

Frosting is NOT that easy, take my word for it.

We frost, we eat! YUM!

What more can you get at Magnolia? Well, their cookbook -I already have it- and merchandise with their brand name on it are available as well.

And if you wanted to celebrate someone’s birthday -or your own- you can choose one of the picks they have by the register and add a dash of festive flair to your tiny cupcake. Who needs a big fat cake anyway?

At the end of the night, with lots of friendly chitchat, live music, delicious goodies, and picture taking, we said good buy and left with a bag of a dozen mini cupcake, freshly baked and frosted.

Thank you Magnolia Bakery, Dana Al-Salem, Fahad Al-Fahad, and Lujain Al-Fulaij for extending this tempting invitation. I do wish you the best of luck -and many more branches to be opened soon -

For more information about Magnolia Bakery Kuwait and their opening times you can follow them on Twitter (@MagnoliaKuwait) or instagram (@MagnoliaKuwait).

The 12 Lessons Learned in 2012

The count down for the year 2012′s departure has started and this made me reflect on the changes and lessons I’ve learned this past year and I thought I’d share my -err- wisdom with you:

Back up! Back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, BACK UP.
Never regret something or someone if you had happy and laughter times with them. Be thankful.
Don’t argue with stupid people. Its pointless and a complete waste of energy.
Losing your phone means you’ll get to know who asks after you and who doesn’t care. That’s the silver lining.
Be considerate. What you take as given for granted might not be what others are dealt in life. Not everyone has what you have.
Don’t judge people with your own circumnstances. Put yourself in their shoes and then judge. Better yet, why judge people at all? Live and let live.
There are no good people and bad people. There are people with different percentages of good and bad in them that differe according to their surroundings and situations.
Never rely on anyone, never trust anyone, never tolerate anyone.
The signs I’ve read and dismissed as a fabrication of my imagination all turned out to be true. Trust my interpretation of the signs, I may have a sixth sense afterall.
If something I wanted didn’t happen and others were deemed better than me, I’d whine about it for five minutes, then put my head down and work harder. It means I’m still not good enough and must work harder. Whining won’t get me anywhere, hard work will.
The Mayans were wrong, BIG TIME! Just because they were advanced once upon a time it doesn’t mean they are always right.
Always remember, when one door closes another one opens at the exact same moment. Don’t waste your time lingering at the close door, make haste to the newly opened one.

O salamtkom. What about you? What are the lessons you’ve learned in 2012?