Monsters Vs Aliens

The June holidays smashed into our halcyon days of rigid routine with a most welcoming breath of fresh, invigorating air, and the sweet promise of long, languid and unplanned days ahead. 

We celebrated the onset of these carefree days with a movie treat for the Bees last Sunday - Monsters vs Aliens. The girls were beside themselves with glee when we arrived at the cinema. Little Bee was jumping up and down, uttering "(Little Bee) watch show!". Big Bee was anticipating the popcorn with so much thrill that I am quite certain she only likes watching movies because of the popcorn! 

They shared a seat in the cinema, both comfortably ensconced in the lush seat with a popcorn bag between them, each extending an arm in perfect harmony into the bag to crunch at the delicious caramel delight. At her age, Big Bee was easily fixated by a compelling storyline, and she was hanging on to every word in the movie. As for Little Bee, I was just so thankful that she remained in her seat throughout the entire movie, not fearful of the dark unlike her first movie experience. In fact, she felt so comfortable that she fell asleep at the final 15 minutes of the movie!

Jane Austen

Jane Austen is one of my favourite writers, and I had read and re-read many of her classics umpteen times over the years. Which was why I watched Becoming Jane for the second time in 72 hours last night, and was imbued with fascination and approbation for Jane Austen. For a lady to yearn for financial self-sufficiency and independence in that conservative era was almost unheard of, yet she forged ahead to create 6 of the greatest novels of our time, breaking conventions, defying traditions. She died unmarried, in her 40s.

I love her novels, not just for the happy endings, but really for the timeless themes that resonate in our minds and hearts. The pure romances between her multi-faceted protagonists, devoid of instantaneous gratification in the form of hasty sex that are so redolent in novels today, present a deep yet relevant emblem of what love really should be, despite the social norms of that era.

Lastly, with the exception of Hugh Grant in Sense and Sensibility, I am now developing a school-girl crush over the male personifications in Jane Austen's life and novels - James McAvoy, who played Tom Lefroy, supposedly a friend of Jane Austen, and Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice! I am sure many women will agree with me that they are charming beyond words ;)

Enchanted

This was what got both my princesses enchanted last Sunday night. Hubby and I were singing merrily along, to songs that we had loved and sang since we were at Big Bee's age. And now, they are sharing the melodious vocals of Julie Andrews, our whole family immersed in a euphonic cocoon of make-believe, happily-ever-afters, endless sweet songs and zestful joy! The two girls, especially Big Bee, who knew some of the songs, were also humming and singing to those beloved tunes.

The two Bees were also captivated by the Disney feel-good musical fairy-tale, Enchanted, both their eyes large and besotted by the happy songs and vibrant dance moves. And whenever I played my favourite scene from Phantom Of The Opera, the scene where Emmy Rossum sang "Think Of Me" as Christine Daae, Big Bee and Little Bee will also sing along with me in their soprano voices! How amusing.

And we, Hubby and I, were utterly charmed by this! Mamma Mia, the movical - or musical turned movie. Those catchy ABBA tunes transported us to another world, another time. I can see people in the audience tapping their feet and hands. And everyone emerging from the cinema thereafter with an added spring in their jaunts and brighter smiles.

Ah! The delightful diversion of movies. Instilling in us the willing suspension of disbelief and cynicism.

Plenty of Bonding

This weekend had been really busy but truly enjoyable:

1) Hiking around the trails of Southern Ridges and traipsing across the majestic and lofty Henderson Waves. Big Bee loves the meandering bridge and ran around, whereas Little Bee fancies those little slopey seats along the side of the bridge (she thinks they are mini slides!). She can manouevre away from us just to walk back to those seats amidst rambling crowds! Such courage indeed!

2) Bonding with hubby's friends on a balmy Saturday night of succulent BBQ food. Conversation topics had evolved from fashion tips when we were undergrads to wedding proposals and preparations in our early 20s to our children now!

3) Taking our first family Ferris Wheel ride at Downtown East, with wide-eyed wonder from the 2 Bees.

4) Watching a movie (Kungfu Panda) as a family - Big Bee's 3rd movie experience and Little Bee's FIRST movie! She entered the dark cinema patting her little chest, indicating she was frightened, but Big Bee, hubby and me soon soothed her down with our over-exaggerated comments and laughter! It helped a lot with Big Bee there, munching popcorn and staring fixatedly at the screen. Of course, giving scraps of popcorn and biscuits to foodie Little Bee made a world of difference!

5) Having fantastic family bonding time with the 2 Bees' grandparents - lunch at hubby's parents' place and dinner at my place with my parents, brother and girlfriend. We had a blast looking through my brother's photos from their recent trip and the girls were jesting with their jiu-jiu in full glee.

Sex And The City

Last Thursday evening, I took some time off to watch the "Sex And The City" movie with 2 of my best single girlfriends. The movie evoked vessels of laughter, tricklings of tears and scoops of bittersweet emotions. For the movie is about love, friendship and happily-ever-after...universal themes of what all of us seek in life.

I am thankful for my many best friends (the single, the married, the in-between!) who had accompanied me through life's many splendours and the occasional periods of darkness. For their listening ears. Their shoulders to cry on. For our shared laughter. Common woes. And ultimately for understanding each other, standing by one another.

Without my best girlfriends, my life would be bleaker and harder to manage.

Stardust

We watched Stardust on Saturday, and I was enthralled by it. It's my usual favourite fantasy epic movie genre, and I was so happy to be immersed in another fantasia world of magic, chivalry, stars, love and eternal happiness. Escapism into another world, another universe.