The Return

My 2nd day back at work has been tolerable so far. The expected Chinese New Year crowd didn't show during my shifts, and our MOs are working hard to keep the numbers in check -- thank you for that! :)

As I wind down at the tail end of a night call, the Company DVD plays on my laptop -- brought from home since I can't spin DVDs on the hospital computer.

It's just temporary, until the audio CD arrives from Amazon, which will be very soon. :)


Catching Up

An American friend recently re-established contact via email after a few years' absence. Neither of us is quite sure why we both stopped writing for such a long period, but none of that really matters now since we're back to the old comfortable routine of trading opinions about everything from politics to the sad state of our personal lives.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoy our "conversations". It's probably my fault for not replying to his last email from 3 years back. Won't happen again, I promise. :)


A Cusack Gem

Bullets Over Broadway is the latest DVD to pass through my laptop in the wee hours of the morning in the comfort of my bedroom. And what a treasure it is!

Directed by Woody Allen - whom I usually can't stomach - but featuring a beautiful cast which includes John Cusack, Dianne Wiest ( who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress ) and Chazz Palminteri, the film is set in 1920s Manhattan, revolving around a struggling playwright ( Cusack ) whose project gets funded by a Mafia boss intent on pleasing his aspiring-actress ditz of a girlfriend.

The humour is by turns wacky and sophisticated, aided by the eclectic group of characters who're perfectly portrayed by the actors. Cusack's comedic timing is, as always, impeccable. His bespectacled and disheveled David Shayne glues the various subplots together, but two others also shine in this ensemble piece.

Dianne Wiest is a hoot as over-the-hill diva Helen Sinclair. Her illicit affair with Shayne offers numerous hilarious encounters ( "Don't speak!" is one of the funniest catchphrases in this movie. ), but one scene set in Central Park is particularly poignant.

My favourite, though, is Palminteri, who plays Mafia hitman and ditzy moll's reluctant bodyguard. His character undergoes the most drastic transformation, but Palminteri makes it so believable you actually start rooting for him.

Bullets is way better than Match Point. I hated Scoop, but haven't seen Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Have to admit Bullets has really piqued my interest in Allen's other films.


American Idol 8

Just realized I haven't written anything about this yet.

What can I say -- it's more of the same, with new judge Kara DioGuardi adding a bit more sass ( Paula's terribly bland in comparison ). I'm starting to feel the fatigue this year, often getting distracted during the tedious auditions.

The only ones who stand out are Anoop Desai, the brainy Indian post-grad student who sings surprisingly well, and the stocky dude with glasses whose young wife recently passed away.

At this rate, I don't think the show can last more than another year or two. Unless the producers give it a major overhaul. I'm getting kinda sick of Simon Cowell ( especially after reading about his Botox use, ick! ).

It's 8am. Time for home, woohoo! :)