What is this blog all about?

The main purpose of this blog is to give an overview of the things I do, in my everyday life, in order to improve my English. Since I am a very lazy person, I mostly read, and watch movies, and do things which make it possible for me to improve my vocabulary, my grammar and my accent without getting bored... So this blog is going to be about the books I read, the movies I watch, and some other things which I find relevant (or not)...

I hope you'll like it! Don't hesitate to leave comments if you have any suggestions concerning what I should write about!!

samedi 31 mai 2008

And a bottle of rum...

\o/ Revolution, people!

I have found a new and worthy cause to blog! Yeah, well, to write a short post, is more like it.

I have been re-watching the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean movies with my friend V lately, and I liked them much better than I had watching them the first time (especially the second one, which is actually quite funny. I just wish Keira Knightley would... well, I'd better not. Else, I'm going to have to write the "here be spoilers" message again...)

Anyway, here is a post about technical dialogues in movies. Though I'm not sure "technical" is the word. Maybe "specialized" would be more suited, and "annoying" would certainly best describe it, only it would make the concerned area much much wider.

I must say I don't always agree with myself on this subject, but concerning Pirates of the Caribbean, I certainly do. Why did the writer bother writing all the stuff about "brick the hammock" and "lower the starboard withshpik?" Guys, face it, no one knows what you are talking about!! At least when Dr House talks business, you learn actual vocabulary and grasp some little meaning. But in Pirates of the Caribbean, the sound of crashing waves prevent you from hearing half of it, and even if you did, you are absolutely not likely to ever understand what any of it refers to.

It is annoying to the same degree in some science fiction series I know of. I refer here to Dr Who, for example, who saves the world by the sheer power of convenient twists of his time Lord technology. It is OK by me. I am NOT watching the series because I find it believable. I am NOT interested in your pathetically trying to convince me it is. All I want is more David Tennant being cool. Spare me the "I crashed the screwdrivers' laser timewinder into the machine's bloopster". I do not care.

I hope you hear me, dialogue writer. Tonight, I'm off to see Indiana Jones with me friends, I do hope you'll have made an effort :)

lundi 19 mai 2008

Father'll want to brain her with a brick...

Hey people!

Haven't written in a terribly long while, but I've been busy with the university, and could not find anything interesting to say to my English speaking blog... But things are definitely going to get better from now on, insofar as I just came back from my study-week in Munich (which was brilliant, by the way, I might write a post about it as soon as I get photos to post!), and am going to go to Saarbrücken in Germany at the end of the week to start my internship over there. Might be some blogging material on the other side of the bordure!

While I was in Munich (and had a great time, did I mention?) I found the time to read a little (when I was not studying, or hanging out), and I re-read "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith, the woman who wrote "101 Dalmatians". I think re-reading books is the best option when you're on holidays, because it's OK if you don't have much time, (you won't be wanting to go back to your book all the time, since you already know what happens in it) and yet, when you get the time, you're sure to enjoy it (yeah, usually, when you re-read a book, it's because you liked it in the first place.)

Anyway. Just wanted to mention the book here because it's such easy English, it's great to read, it's very fun, and it's also thought material, a little. It's about growing up and stuff, and in my personal opinion, it's the best book of the sort since Jane Austen. It really woke up my enthusiasm the first time a read it, and the second reading did not make me change my mind. I think the main character, Cassandra, is just about brilliant, what with her "consciously naive-ness" and stuff. She must be around, what 16 I guess, and she's really funny, the kind of person you think it would be nice to spend time with. It's a story about her poor family and their meeting with two rich young men, called the Cottons.

There are quite a large amount of side-stories with their father, who's a writer who doesn't write anymore, their step mother who's a crazy painter's model, and the farm-boy. Farm boys always have a little charm, I must say, only this one is really daft. I also like the Cottons, but her big sister really annoys me. Which is exactly what should happen, so I guess it's one more reason why the book's so great.

I heard there was a cinema adaptation of the book recently, with Buffy's Riley as one of the characters. Whatever the said character might be, I'm against it. I don't think Buffy's Riley should ever play anything but a stupid soldier boy. But then again, that's just my personal opinion. It doesn't make me want to see the movie too much, though. He's got the charisma of a turnip, and I'm afraid that's the opposite of what any of the characters of the book should be. Except Stephen the daft farm boy... Let me check... No he doesn't play the daft farm boy. Definitely casting mistake, if you want my opinion.

Anyway. If you've got some time, I Capture the Castle's a great pick. And here's to my sister M who told me to read it in the first place (I'd have terrible taste if it wasn't for you, people!) and encouraged me to write a new post! I swear, I'll come back soon, and bore you to death with stories from Germany!!
PS: No photographs anymore except for the ones I'll be taking, I figure I hotlinked wayyyy to much as it is, and do not want to get into trouble. So I'll have to take to photography... Maybe I can make drawings on paint, how about that??