My Top 5 of 2007

Normally I abhor top whatever lists and avoid them like the plague. Too simplistic and arbitrary for my taste. But being that I haven't written about film in FOREVER, a list seemed like the simplest and most elegant way to jump back into it. So with the Oscars right around the corner here's a list of my top 5 favourite movies of 2007:

1. No Country for Old Men - Dir. Coen Brothers: This movie deserves every bit of praise that is being heaped upon it and then some. And I actually loved the ending, which many people have complained about. I'm sure being raised on Westerns has contributed to my appreciation for the film, and I consider this a better representation of a modern Western than most things that have come along. My boy Josh Brolin was the star for me, although Javier Bardem is great. But we kinda expect that from him. Brolin is the son of a B-actor married to Barbara Streisand and he used to be engaged to Mimi Driver, so nobody really expects much of anything from him, but his portrayal of the classic Western anti-hero was nuanced and brilliantly crafted. That said, I can't actually think of a single bad performance in the whole thing. The violence that turned some people off was integral to the story and particularly the ending. Easily one of the Coens' best ever.

2. Juno - Dir. Ivan Reitman: If I had to describe this movie in one word, it would be easy: lovely. Sweet, profane, smart and extremely life affirming. While one friend dismissed the dialogue as "too hip", only one character was particularly hip in their speech and they were treated as an oddity by the other characters. And, it's a movie. People are supposed to be hipper, smarter, cuter and funnier. Otherwise I'd save my money and call a friend. It's also nice to see smart people having babies.

3. Control - Dir. Anton Corbijn: Okay, fine, so I'm a little biased on this one. But my only caveat is that it did drag a little in areas, particularly for those not already familiar with the story. Emily Watson was the perfect choice to play Deborah Curtis and the painterly framing and lighting was a marvel to watch. The decision to use the actor's performances in the musical sequences was also inspired. An awespiscious feature film debut and one that sadly I doubt Corbijn will be able to live up to.

4. Blackbook - Dir. Paul Verhoeven: Although technically released in 2006, it didn't make it to North America until 2007 so I'm going to count it. Surprisingly restrained for Verhoeven (despite some full frontal nudity and a lady covered in shit), his return to Holland and his reunion with writer Gerard Soeteman is his strongest work in years. A little old fashioned in tone, it's essentially a female version of his previous WWII adventure epic Soldier of Orange. I won't try recapping the plot, because it's just get messy real fast, but imaging mixing the Great Escape with Turkish Delight and you'll be half-way there. Also, Carice Van Houten should become an international superstar.

5. TIE Eastern Promises Dir. - David Cronnenberg / Michael Clayton - Dir. Tony Gilroy: Because I couldn't come up with a full 10, I decided to cheat a little and include a tie and an honourable mention. I put these films together because while they were both better than they should have been, the plots were too conventional to make them stand-out enough for me. Eastern Promises survives largely on the strength of Viggo Mortensen's performance, and while I have to admit I did not see the final twist coming, the storyline did seem to tie up a little too neatly for a Cronnenberg film. Thematically, A History of Violence is easily masterpiece, but Eastern Promises would not have been as good as it was without a director willing to go to those darkest places. Michael Clayton is also a triumph of directing, coupled with very, very strong writing. All of the actors are at the top of their game. Essentially a corporate thriller, Tom Wilkinson's portrayal of a man having a nervous breakdown and a bipolar episode is uncomfortably realistic.

Honourable mention: There Will Be Blood - Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson: My dislike of PT Anderson is well known to those I am closest too, and I have been known to go on long spite filled rants when asked my opinion of the self-proclaimed auteur. However, it looks more and more like my rants are based on my feelings towards one film, Magnolia, and that I am not alone in considering this Mr. Anderson's weakest and most self-indulgent work. Arguably, most of his work falls under the category of "self-indulgent", but with TWBB his talent as a filmmaker can no longer be debated. A harrowing epic of one thoroughly unlikable man's climb to the top, comparisons to "Citizen Kane" are not out of place even if Anderson's film is that much more sinister and bleak. There is an old fashioned elegance borrowed from Wells at work in the film, which helps to temper some of the more eccentric and over the top choices, and the grounding in gritty reality provides the humanity that Day Lewis' character lacks. Which brings me to my central point regarding the film. The film is about one man, and that man is Daniel Day Lewis and though cliched, tour-de-force is the only real description of what he delivers. Paul Dano also distinguishes himself as being able to hold his own against Lewis, no small feat.

Music in Quebec

In high school and University, I was admittedly something of an audiophile. Granted, not a very dedicated or knowledgeable one, but was on the mailing lists of a couple indie labels, I went to live shows (though not as often as I wanted to) and I listened fairly exclusively to non-mainstream radio. However, since leaving the dynamic atmosphere of school I have fallen sadly behind in my knowledge of current music. While never really ahead of the curve, I now resided in a musical time-warp that ended at about 1988. And while the occasional mix-CD passed by a friend has made sure I haven't become completely out of touch, I do deeply miss the excitement of discovery that keeping up with a music scene brought me. So, being that moving to Quebec was a way to reboot my life I've been trying to make more of an effort to get back into music. I wouldn't say that I've been completely successful, but having new friends with similar musical tastes at least seems like step in the right direction, and I've already made it to two shows, both on opposite sides of the Montreal musical spectrum.

In December we attended a Christmas benefit for a jam-space co-op founded by Michel Rivard of legendary Quebec folk/rock bank Beau Dommage. I must admit to not really knowing anything at all about pop music in Quebec, aside from Mitsou and Celine, but a steady stream of MusiMax during my three months of unemployment has at least given me something of a foundation. The highlights for the concert for me were teen girl favourites, 3 Gar Sul' Sofa (Three Guys on the Couch) a folk based pop-y trio with great humour and harmonies and Gilles Vigneault, the poet and sovereigntist who at the age of 79 lead the crowd in a rendition of Gens Du Pays, the unofficial anthem of Quebec and as I recently discovered, the Quebecois substitute for "Happy Birthday".

While L.'s musical tastes were undoubtedly coloured by a childhood of overproduced Quebec pop, my taste is Quebecois music tends towards either the folky-pop sensibilities of groups like the widely celebrated Tricot Machine to the distinctive electro/hip-hop sound of groups like Omnikrom. I've even added an embedded radio station to this blog so that you can listen to Q-pop while you read.

On the other end of the spectrum, we recently caught the CPC Gangbangs at the Theatre St-Catherines, a relatively new art/show space which is quickly gaining popularity among hip Anglos. It had been a long time since I'd been to a real indie-rock show, let alone a punk show and I had a blast despite a very sore neck for the next two days. L. was initially a little scared, he didn't gown up listening to punk music and was nervous about what to expect. However, the band's energetic performances and up-tempo set managed to win him over. I also found out that there is still a very active and impressive rockabilly scene in MTL, which I am dying to check out.

A Few More Observations About My Job

So, it's been 4 weeks since I started working in the gaming industry and I have to say I am really enjoying it so far. Despite having the flexibility to choose my start time, most of my team is in the office by 8:30 - 9:00 A.M., so that's usually when I try to get there as well. However, not having a fixed start time means that if it happens to take me an extra 3 minutes to do my hair and 5 minutes to eat my breakfast it's not the end of the world. By not having to rush around like a mad-woman stuffing burnt toast into my face while I power-walk to work I find I arrive at my job focused and ready to work and my body is not taxed by unnecessary stress. I am happier and healthier. Not having to worry about ironing my clothes also helps.

In fact, there are many initiatives at my work that seem designed specifically to make sure the nerds are healthy and happy:

1) There is a social committee. They organize all sorts of things like ski-trips and hiking outings, making sure the nerds are socially and physically active.
2) We have our own cafeteria where hearty soups and sandwiches can be purchased at very reasonable prices (under $5 for soup & sandwich with crudites).
3) The cafeteria also has big baskets of fruit (apples & oranges mostly) which are free for the taking.
4) A one hour lunch is both strongly encouraged and loosely enforced. Apparently they didn't used to and people were burning out.
5) They are actively working on getting us a discount at the gym that just opened in our building.

I am enjoying the novelty of the being "the new girl". I'm sure the fact that I wash my hair only adds to this (seriously people, get out more!) I'm still amused by the guy who tried to "cruise" me while I was eating lunch by myself. He was very charming and not creepy about it and seemed to be more due to the facts that a) I am surrounded by French people & b) most of these French people are nerds. It was more flattering than anything, but my insistence on replying only in broken French must have been a turn-off because he hasn't bothered me since.

Also, there is a guy who wears red elf booties. Every day.

Resolution Self-Evaluation

So it's been about 4 weeks since I started on my various self improvement programs and now seems like as good a time as any to take stock. So, how did I do? Well, if you've bothered to check this blog since I started, you've probably noticed which resolution I was least successful with. There are various excuses I could dredge up to account for my lack of bloggy-ness, the fact that L is monopolizing our one computer probably being the most pertinent, but dreaming of my own MacBook Air isn't really helping anything and I'm happy his writing, editing, composing and trying to find a new job.

Oddly enough the two resolutions I am having the most success with are the most mundane: flossing and eating more apples. I am also doing pretty good on avoiding sugary things (I have pretty much cut out all snacking) and exercising (4 - 5 times a week). I've even managed to drop 5 pounds and keep it off for a whole week. Yeah me! I try to do three to four 20 - 30 minute workouts during the week before I get ready for work and then one hour long cardio workout on the weekend. If our weekend activities include cardio heavy activities such as dancing or ice skating, then I usually skip my extra weekend workout. The side benefits of exercising so frequently are that I sleep much better and I have more energy. I don't even need my morning tea anymore (I gave up coffee years ago due to stomach acid issues I nicknamed the "proto-ulcer"). When not felled by a cold I can get up at 7:00 A.M. with no problems and I don't really start to feel saggy until 4:00 PM or later, which usually just means I need dinner. Also, my jeans fit better, even when I'm wearing long-johns under them!

The eating allergens thing has been going okay, but I do admit to drinking a few beers here and there or forgetting to tell servers to omit certain things. Most recently I was confronted by the fact that both of my herbal teas at home contain lemon peel, which does in fact make me itchy. But the fact that I have been able to resist the temptation of eggs bennedict for an entire month is some at least I am proud of.

As for the blogging, I'm going to try a couple things over the next month and see how they work out:
1) Take advantage of my slow periods at work, of which there are many right now, to make notes or start/finish posts in gmail.
2) Stockpile posts developed in this manner to improve my consistency.

I had been hesitant to blog while at work, but for some reason writing my posts in gmail and then posting them later when I get home doesn't seem as bad to me. I am fortunate to be working somewhere that understands that we have slow periods and doesn't mind if you use that time to check Facebook, write emails or catch-up on your gossip as long as the work you do get assigned gets finished in a timely fashion. My workload can change drastically from one day to the next, so instead of trolling the nets for some way to entertain myself, I figure I should get over myself and take advantage of this gift of time. Of course this would be a different matter if I was posting trade secrets about my company, or making money off my blog, which given that it is invite only would be pretty hard.

My First Two Days

For the nerds (like me) who actually bothered to watch JPod tonight, no, working for a video game company is nothing like that. Well, it's a little bit like that, but our desks are much smaller and we do a LOT more work. It's also much quieter. And the view is better.

My first two days have gone well so far. I do still feel like I am wearing a sign that says "girl" on it, but I work on the team with the highest percentage of girls so it's not so bad. I don't really even have to talk to the programming nerds. In fact, I don't even have to talk to my co-workers. As a bi-product of the open office concept, everything is very, very quiet and most communication is done by e-mail or MSN. That's right, I'm supposed to use MSN at work.

Highlights include fooseball in the lunch room, the fact that I get to walk to work and the fact that I don't have to answer a phone as part of my job. Ironically, there is no dress code, yet I am treated more like a grown-up than at any of my previous "office" jobs.

Quebequois Slang Part 1: Cursing

NSFW or children

Admittedly, having completed a large portion of my schooling as part of the French Immersion program (pre-school to first year university) has been a huge asset to me these past three months. I would also have to say that my accent and confidence have improved tremendously in the short time we have been here, and my ability to speak and understand French has made my life infinitely easier in every way, from finding a job to shopping for groceries.

However, because school is supposed to teach you how to do things properly, there were a number of essential words and terms that I had to pick up on the fly. I am referring of course to slang, and the Quebequois of course have their own very specific and unique terms for all kinds of things. In lieu of just listing every bit of seeming gibberish I've picked up since October, I've opted to split the topic into several posts, beginning with the most fun: swearing!

I had an interesting bar conversation with someone not too long ago about swearing, and specifically how a culture's curse words actually reveal a lot about the particular hang-ups of that culture. For example, in English, most curses have to do with sex or bodily functions (ex: Fuck, Shit...); while in Polish a lot of curses have to do with disease and illness, a hold over from the plague days. In war ravaged areas of Eastern Europe the curses are generally very convoluted and violent (an example along the lines of "skull fuck your mother through the eye with a dog penis" comes to mind). So, it should come as no surprise that the majority of Quebequois curses have to do with the Catholic church, specifically: deliberately mispronouncing the words for sacred things.

Below are some of the most popular Quebequois swear words along with explanations and examples of their use. Please note that some of these words have multiple spellings as the issue has more to do with the pronunciation.

Tabarnak: [tah-behr-nak] This one is a play on tabernacle (same in English & French) and is probably the grand-daddy of Quebequois curses. The usage is similar to that of "Fuck" in English, although it probably isn't quite as harsh. Variants include "tabarwhet" and "tabarmoush", which are basically the same as saying "fudge" or "fiddlesticks".

Ostie: [uh-stee] A play on ossuarie or ossuary. Generally used in the declarative, or as a preposition: "Ostie,que t'est con!" Not as bad as tabarnak, it can also be shortened to "'sti" as one would shorten "Goddamn" to "damn".

Calisse: [koh-lee-ss] This one comes from calice or chalice. One of my current favourites. It is very fun to say and immediately gets across how you feel.

This of course is just a sample, I do plan on posting lots more in the future as well as some less offensive slang. While not extensive, these words are more than enough to get you started, and you can of course combine them in a host of ways to come up with new curses as demonstrated by Tom Green in the clip below:

Happy New Year!

I know that most people my age have given up on such things, but I've decided to make some resolutions this year. I've tried to stick to things I'm pretty sure I can accomplish and I've made them specific enough to yield measurable results. In some cases I have even added time frames so that the resolution does not seem as daunting.

1. Floss every day
2. Eat one apple a day (pears and apple-pears are also acceptable)
3. Blog every day
4. Exercise 5 times a week for 30 days (I am hoping to fit in morning work-outs before work since my commute time will be a mere 10 - 15 minutes)
5. Eat nothing I am allergic to for 30 days
6. Cut out sugary deserts and candies for 30 days

To help me reach my goals I have implemented a few tools and hacks to keep me focused. The first one is Sciral Consistency, which is more of a "fuzzy to do list manager", but I am using it as a sort of "don't break the chain" style motivator. It should also help me to remember to water my plants as I carry the curse of the black thumb.

I have also added To-Do List to my Google homepage as a further reminder. And, if all else fails I have the mantra "How does this help me achieve my goals?" for whenever I am feeling weak.

If you've got resolutions or tips/tricks for staying focused, please post them in the comments.

Our Friends Online

Our friend Frank, who kindly put us up when we first arrived in La Belle Province was recently featured on Radio Canada Telejournal news magazine as part of a series about Park Extension, one of the more dangerous neighborhoods in Montreal. Frank is a cop and Park Ex., as it is known, is his beat. I've posted a link to the video here so you can see what Frank looks like, but please note the clip is entirely in French.

Roast Chicken Review: St-Hubert's

Please see part 1 of this series for the backstory and criteria.

In many ways this is the review that L. is dreading because St-Hubert's is his favourite restaurant ever and I am notoriously not that big a fan. I will go so far as to say that I do prefer dining in to take out and their coleslaw is pretty good.

Chicken: Skin was more chewy than crispy and very salty. The meat wasn't that dry, but very mealy -- a quality I detest in chicken. 6/10

Fries: Colder and greasier than I remember them. Must be a side effect of having had to wait an hour for the delivery guy. 4/10

Coleslaw: Warmer and soggier than the dine in variety which I quite enjoy. In fact, I generally do not like coleslaw, but their original vinegarette style is usually refreshing and delicious. I will give them the benefit of the doubt on this one because of the delivery delay. 7/10

Gravy: Thin, very salty and a little spicy. The spice would normally seal it for me, but the salt content kind of skeeves me out. 5/10

Biscuit: The St-Hubert's "biscuit" has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Tell me it doesn't look exactly like the bottom of a McDonald's bun that's been squished:


Barely edible, even with St-Hubert's Sauce. 2/10


Overall score: 24/50

First Storm of the Year

Looks like the weather's been playing havoc with everybody's life.

In other news, I bought a hat with ear flaps. It keeps me warm.