That Bruce Jenner Interview

Bruce Jenner took what has been paparazzi fodder and ridicule for months, and made it real and human, in his interview with Diane Sawyer tonight.

I tuned in because this was a story we had not been privy too. While a part of the Kardashian reality debacle for 8 years, Bruce was always a supporting act, and never the star. And yet, as he said, he was the one with the story - the real story; a story that meant something to some people - to those people who try to navigate life with a lot of questions about themselves.

Gender confusion is still something many people grapple with. I grapple with it - not me not understanding whether I am man or woman. I am a woman and I am clear on that. But I never fully understood how others could not really share that sense of comprehension about themselves. There are a lot of things in this world that I do not necessarily agree with or fully understand. But what I do understand and appreciate is the ongoing quest to be happy. Happiness can sometimes seem so far out of reach - you seem to have to stretch just a little bit further to reach that fruit that is just, just out of reach. Living a life where it seems true happiness evades you is not really a life. Contemplating suicide, as he confesses he did, because you are in constant fear of what society will say or do, is not life. So when a guy feels he is happier living the rest of his life as a woman, after 65 years of living what he feels has been a pretence, then I am okay with that. Living half of a life is painful. It is empty. It is callous for us to ask anyone to do that. In the end, all any of us want is to be happy and for our loved ones to be happy - or at least that is what we should want.

I think Diane and Bruce handled the interview beautifully and brought it back really to the human condition, and made it less of a spectacle than has been made of it in the past several months. That people are harmed by others, or harm themselves because of their choice is very sad to me. The images were disturbing but hopefully there is just a little bit more understanding. Glad to see his children have been so supportive as it is clear they were his central concern. I don't agree they all had to be on-camera to prove their love for him. They are dealing with their own issues and fears I am sure. And also, I think the Kardashian girls recognised this was not their moment, but his (or at least I hope they were really being this generous). I appreciated that they were not there to bring it back to that circus level, but he could tell his story in his way, on his time, by himself.

I thought he was very brave and honest. I respect that it is a very private journey and so we did not need to see him as "her". I respect the way in which the 2-hr interview was conducted with it not being a tabloid-esque expose but a deep and meaningful, often touching, sometimes funny perspective from someone trying to come to terms with himself, and the challenges others like him face. I always felt a bit sorry for him on that silly reality show but he is a very brave guy and I give him a lot of respect for that.

I wish him the best.

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Netflix - So Evil, but so Good

Life? What is life?

Binge - to excessively indulge in something.

Some of us already participate in excessive behaviours - binge-eating, binge-drinking, chain-smoking, shopping sprees. Then came Netflix and binge tv.

I have been a Netflix subscriber for a few years now but never really actively used it, as I was busy with school, then with work, and in between, busy travelling, socialising and having a life.

Then came Christmas 2014, and my brother came over to the house with the kids and asked why there was no Netflix on the tv. It was still only a cute app on my tablet. In order to keep the kids occupied, he went ahead and added Netflix to the tv,and that was when it all went downhill.

Later when all the family had gone, the dishes were washed and I was all snuggly in my pyjamas, fluffy socks and with a glass of white wine, I sat in front of the tv, turned it on, and since there was nothing besides warm and vomitty fuzzy Christmas specials on, I flicked on Netflix. There in big screen wonder,was the beginning of my binge tv existence.

Over the long holiday weekend, I started in on Downton Abbey, finishing the first two seasons in record time. I have since brought myself up to date, having completed all five seasons on Netflix and via streaming. Then I moved on to The Fall, followed by Luther, and Orange is the New Black.I just today opened up The Killing, after a failed outing with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which is way too looney toons for me.

One of my fave shows is Orange is the New Black

I love me some Idris. DS Justin Ripley and DCI John Luther - Luther is also on Netflix

But Netflix is evil. Plain and simple. You switch it on to watch Episode 3,saying to yourself, after this episode, you will go feed the dog and do something worthwhile with your life. Before you know it, the dog is scratching at the door, the sun has set and you're still on the couch with snacks and on Episode 8, unaware of life around you.

Netflixing 
- the act of watching an entire season of a show in one sitting
- a totally valid excuse for avoiding social obligations

How then do you end up on the couch for hours at a time, to the detriment of your friends, family,dinner dates and normal life?

Entertainment minus the wait - TV producers are generally trying to entertain you and keep you on the edge of your seat. You sit and watch an episode of your fave show on Tuesday night, it ends with a hell of a cliffhanger and you go "Ohhhhh snap" but then what? You have no choice but to take off the tv and wait 10,080 minutes til the next episode airs on the next Tuesday night. That can be real agony. With Netflix though, you don't have to endure those 10,080 minutes, or worse, but instead in less than 15 seconds can find out who shot J.R. - well, you know what I mean.

No commercials - Good tv with no interruptions. However, unless you have the emotional willpower to hit Pause, to go use the bathroom or feed the dog or children,this can be a really bad thing as well. lol.

Great tv all in one place - I love the one-stop-shop-ness of Netflix. I can choose to watch a movie or a tv series I may never have watched for one reason or another. I love that Netflix itself has also pushed the envelope with its own shows as well like House of Cards, and Orange is the New Black.  I don't have to resort to watching Lifetime any longer.

It's portable - Physically portable via the fact that when you leave the couch and the SmartTV you can still pick up your fave show on your laptop, tablet or phone.And of course, no matter where you are, you can pick up exactly where you left off.

Take your pick from the treasure chest that is Netflix.

So if you are an amateur at the Netflix hustle, here are some quick tips to note before embarking on a long weekend of quick showers, no human contact and hours and hours of tv and movies.

• Clear the house or have a Netflix buddy who is also a true believer -Nothing worse than being interrupted during your Netflix marathon
• Clear the schedule - Do the shopping, sweep the floors,feed the dog, farm out the kids before settling in on your couch with your remote, tablet, laptop or smartphone
• Make sure you are properly dressed - Comfortable, loose clothing works for me and if it is night time, you must have your blankie.
• Make sure you have marathon fuel aka food and drink - Netflix snacks are a must. I also like to have a nice wine open and ready to go for those unforgettable tv moments.

I was gutted when I heard that Fox had handed over Empire to Hulu and not Netflix so I am back to lying in bed with my tablet as I catch up on that. Not as fun as sitting on the couch looking at a much larger screen but Empire is as binge-worthy as they come. I have a whole separate post for Cookie Lyon, who is just my everything right now. But Happy Netflixin' this weekend, friends.

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Cue Rocky Music - This Week's Gladiator Moments

While my days are often challenging, as part of my 2015 mission to look for the positives, here are the winning moments from this week:

Did my 4.19 km with no regrets

Not passing out on my return to the Queen's Park Savannah
I hate running. Like seriously hate it. I am not a fan of working out on the whole but being able to tell my doctor this morning that I had made a small dent in the weight gain he so scoldingly jotted down in my file last year, was a bit of a victory.

Before this week, my return to fitness was limited to the gym - the treadmill primarily. My mission was to build up some level of endurance in the privacy of the gym before going out in public and embarrassing myself. lol. I had put it off long enough though and after hitting the sack early on Sunday, I donned my battle gear, with some new fat busting tunes on the MP3 player, and hit the asphalt dark and early on Monday morning - determined.

The first day was rough, I will not lie. There is an old guy who was committed to showing me that he was much fitter than I was. I was committed to not letting this old man pass me. And so we went, but the cramps near Kapok did me in and as he passed me, I could see the glee and the smirk on his face as he claimed victory. By Wednesday though, even though physically exhausted, I managed to get back into a rhythm and finished strong.

(cue Rocky music)

Being generally healthy this week
My eating habits are a daily struggle and I treat them as such. I generally do eat well. My meals themselves are top notch for keeping it healthy. My problem has always been snacking. I bought 2 heaps of these lovely portugals both for juicing purposes as well as for snacking purposes. I did have brownies during the week and a cupcake today but this is victory nonetheless.

They sold me the sweetest portugals ever! Major win!

My happy corner at work
Cue free flowers and my happy corner on my desk was a major win. One has to do what one can to keep the smurfiness flowing, so the flowers were a welcome addition to my snack/tea/aromatherapy nook.

My little animals, my honey and my tea, my clusters, my water, lotions, nail polish. Perfect!

A perfect cafe mocha
I love coffee. I love chocolate. I love when coffee and chocolate come together in a perfect union. Unfortunately, this perfect union is hard to find, mainly because most times when I order a cafe mocha, I get a cup of hot, sickeningly sweet mess. Then I have to add water, dilute the espresso shots, negate the point of the drink in the first place. But Crust2Crumb gets a special award for a perfectly drinkable mocha today, to go with the awesome red velvet cupcake. This is why they are my new to-go place for coffee when I am on my side of the island.

Awesome Red Velvet cupcake to go with my perfect mocha

Saying hello to Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan in The Fall
So I continue this Netflix lethargy on lazy evenings, and I decided to try The Fall - a BBC crime drama series with Scully and the guy who will play Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey (never read the book(s) and have zero interest generally). I love love love Gillian Anderson and she is so good in this. The perfect Ice Queen. Strong, commanding, but still beautiful and feminine.

Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson in BBC's The Fall

I am a bit hooked though not to the extent that I am hooked on Downton Abbey!

Simple victories this week - I don't ask for much! Hoping next week will be even better.

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Why I Have Fallen in Love with Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey, Season 5 - I am here!

So over the holidays, I really and truly had some down time - time where I had nothing to do. So I retreated to my couch, with copious amounts of wine and snacks, and Netflix. I had heard so much about Downton Abbey, which up to that point, I had never watched, and I really wanted to see what the big deal was about. And so I clicked on Season 1, Episode 1.

I am now getting ready to stream Season 5, Episode 1 - such is the addiction that has developed. I must say, I really do enjoy the show. But why is it so buzzworthy?

For me, it is:

A period piece set in Britain- I love anything historical and I love period pieces. The show starts off in the pre-World War I era and follows an aristocratic family and their servants. So you get everything fun and puzzling about British aristocracy and the servant class of the day - from the high brow accents and silly traditions, to the lower brow accents and quirks. From the sinking of the Titanic, to the house getting electricity, phones, a refrigerator and an electric whisk, and the race relations of the time - re-living these significant milestones and curious events through the story is fun; to be reminded of just how novel it all was at the time. This, in the age of rapid paced technology, where I can have a conversation with my phone, is a change of pace.

I watch it while getting ready for work on my tablet. I know. I need help!

The best of both worlds - So you have the aristocrats and you have their servants, and that is part of the allure as well. You are not saddled with having to listen to Mary Crawley all episode long, because really - what do they do? Have breakfast, have tea, have dinner, walk around the room, brush their hair, ponder their future lives. You are not saddled with having to listen to Mrs Patmore all episode long because really - what do they do? Make breakfast, make tea, make dinner, walk around the village, clean up, ponder their future lives. lol. You get the best of both worlds, with some pretty amazing storylines in-between. Seriously, the  show does well to highlight the struggles of the working class and the conditions they had to endure to survive in some cases, juxtaposed with the sometimes flippant lives of the upper class, with their teas and dances, though they too had their own issues to deal with.

Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith

Amazing character and plot development - I am not sure if there is any one character that you like or hate all the way through. Thomas Barrow for example - as loathsome as he can be - still had his moments. He has a soft and vulnerable side which we do see from time to time and even I will admit, without spoiling it for anyone who has not watched it yet, I have felt sorry for him at times and even rooted for him to stay.

Mary Crawley's place in my heart also fluctuates as she is a complex hybrid of snob and bleeding heart. That being said, with the characters being so diverse, the stories keep getting more interesting. Not only that, the plots don't drag on for weeks and weeks. So it is like a soap but without the coma.

* Spoiler alert ahead - don't read the red text*

I also like how, like Game of Thrones, major characters get snuffed when you least expect it. That being said - spoiler alert... skip the next paragraph, newbies.

Lady Sybil's death was epic! I have replayed that scene about 10 times. That has to be the best piece of television production, direction and acting I have seen in ages, i.e. Tom Branson makes me bawl every single time! Every single time!!!!!

I will say though, Tom Branson and the Dowager Countess, played by the ever wonderful Maggie Smith are constant favourites. The Dowager Countess' droll one-liners are everything! On the flipside, Lady Grantham's voice is sooooo grating on the nerves. I like the chick but why does she always sound like she is trying to soothe the helpless?

Matthew and Mary Crawley

The un-Scandalous love - In the era of the maddening Olivia/Fitz/Jake love triangle and all the accompanying sex scenes - heterosexual and homosexual - which sometimes can be too much to bear, it is really a breath of fresh air to just go back to Austen-like love, minus the debauchery. Where men courted women with prose and not with lines referring their private parts. Really, it is about emotions that everyone can relate to on a very basic level. I have not seen a pale bottom, a nipple, not even an ankle in the 4 seasons of the show I have watched so far. While clearly the debauchery did indeed exist in the time, I am glad that the show chose to go the modesty route, staying true to the spirit of the period and not bringing the 21st century's thirst for lust and R-ratings to the fore. The in-breeding is as raunchy as it gets here. I mean, Mary Crawley and Matthew Crawley are cousins.

It almost makes you long for a time gone by when men were gentlemen, and women were ladies and did not cheapen relationships or devalue emotional connections and friendship. Prudish love is underrated!

The landscape and the fashion - To a lesser extent, I love England as you know. The old castles and great aristocratic houses, the wide expanse of beautiful countryside. The weather - not so much. The fashion of the time is not my favourite, as compared to say, the 60s and 70s, but it is quite fun to see how modestly women dressed back then. No cleavage, no wardrobe malfunctions - and yet the men were still keen.

Do you watch it? Do you like it? I am about to go watch the first episode of Season 5 now. Toodles.

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Total Devastation: The Game of Thrones Season Non-Finale

Spoilers ahead, so please, if you have not seen it yet and you are going to act a fool cause I am giving away the plot, just disappear! Disappear!

Whether you had read the books or not, I think many loyal Game of Thrones fans would agree that NOTHING could have prepared you for last night's Red Wedding episode. Nothing!! Masterfully done, but the most brutal scenes ever. I mean, they even killed Grey Wind in a most merciless manner.

They killed the man's wolf for crying out loud. The animals!!!

To say I was gutted at the end of this episode would be a major major understatement. I was numb for about an hour and woke up this morning and guess what? Robb Stark was dead.

I mean, Robb, our King of the North and King of the Sexy looked exceptionally hot last night

To take him down at his sexiest is just cruel. I cried for Robb Stark. I cried hard.

I hate Walder Frey. I hope he is sodomised by a giant!

Roose Bolton should be thrown overboard in that body armour. I hate him.

Catelyn Stark endured what no woman should ever have to endure - the annihilation of all the men in her life. Bet she would have loved to see Jon Snow just then.

Her killing was especially gruesome and dying with the belief that her two other sons were dead, when they are very much alive.

Arya is going to need some serious therapy - first Ned, now her mum and big brother? Painful. This kid is always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This was by far the best episode of the series, even beating out the beheading of King Robb's dad, Ned in Season 1. I will miss Robb and Catelyn. Robb was really foolish though, and while you understand why he died, it is still hard to swallow. Especially when brought to life in the way HBO brought the Red Wedding to life. I think I will be in mourning for the rest of the week. And what's worse, this was not even the season finale. My heart just cannot take it.

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Game of Thrones Season Finale: Valar Morghulis

Robb Stark...oh dear boy.
Photo credit: HBO

The season finale of Game of Thrones lived up to the hype. It was going to be hard to top 1. the season one finale and 2. last week's Blackwater episode which was amaaaaaaaaaaazing.

There was deception as Tyrion learnt his own sister was the one who ordered him be killed, Theon being blindsided by his men, and also some idiotic betrayal from Robb Stark who is clearly using one head more than the other. While the season finale did not expound on this point, Robb's misguided and idealist notions of love marked the beginning of the end for him. So sad, cause he is just so incredibly hot. Robb, like Ned before him, is an idealist and in this game, doing the right thing or following your heart is not going to cut it. Even Arya - going to find her family instead of taking J-Haqen up on his offer to learn all his shape shifting, magical tricks. Really? You love them because they represent the best of men, but they also can be pretty daft. Not sure what the lesson is there...lol.

There were dragons - and while I am not always a great fan of Daenerys Stormborn, she finally came into her own. Between her dragons lighting that creepy looking man up, and her kicking the fat Xaro and her former handmaiden out of bed and into an empty vault, she showed some real balls in the finale and proved herself worthy of being in the battle for the Iron Throne.

Maester Luwin says goodbye to Bran and Rickon Stark
Photo Credit: HBO

There was death with Maester Luwin bidding farewell to Bran and Rickon after being speared by Theon's men. These little boys have seen it all now. Well, maybe not yet...

There was a douche in the form of Joffrey, whose childish arrogance and stupidity are mind-numbing. Maergery Tyrell clearly has a thirst for power that can tolerate being married to such a tyrant.

Sansa - still trying to figure out this girl and whether she is mildly cunning or just plain stupid. She has her redeeming moments but last night, there were none of those.

Bad ass White Walker from the Game of Thrones
season finale

But while the scene lasted less than 2 minutes, the arrival of the White Walkers sealed the deal for me and as the main reason this episode was a winner. What an awesome closing scene. That white rider - the visual - fantastic. I almost peed my pants for poor fat Sam. Stunning end to a stunning season of an amazing show.

Now the worst part - the more than 10 month wait for the season 3 premiere.

What is a girl to do now?

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Game of Thrones is Back: The North Remembers

Stannis Baratheon and his sorceress

After what seemed like the longest 8 months ever, the battle continued on Sunday night, with the season 2 premiere of  Game of Thrones.  Hallelujah. An epic wait, lemme tell ya.

I had been counting down to this night for monthssss, and then earlier this week, came to a devastating realisation - I did not have HBO. lol.

I was so caught up with work that I still did not have HBO as of 1pm today. Thank God for 24/7 customer service. I will no doubt disconnect this package at the end of Season 2 but until then...

King Joffrey - a bit like Herod, a bit like Hitler - a terror

The best moments of this premiere episode:

• The introduction of Stannis - Well cast, and long awaited.
• Robb and Grey Wind, vs Jamie - How the tables have turned, The boy conquers the mighty Lannister, and his dire wolf, huge and brooding, almost eats Jamie's face off.
• The slap heard around the kingdoms - Joffrey is a twat, and Cersei exercised her motherly right to discipline the twat, at much risk to herself
• The Roberticide- How else can you call the slaying of King Robert's bastard children across the realm? Awful but makes for captivating television
• Tyrion - By far, the best character, and always a joy to watch.
• The eye candy - Of course, the Stark boys are still hot. Duh.

Can't wait for next week!!

Episode 12 - Preview

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Translating Christmas into Summer

A glass of chilled sorrel, and in the absence of Crix,
I also had some poppyseed crackers
with extra mature cheddar

When one thinks of summer, one usually thinks of sunshine and sunshiney type drinks like daiquiris and mojitos. Not rain and cappuccinos. Nevertheless, I was not to be derailed in my taste of summer plans today, despite the downpour here in London.

I had brought some dried sorrel with me back in September, to ensure I had a little piece of Trinidad with me at Christmas time. Sorrel is traditionally our Christmas drink but because I was ill for the most of the holidays and a bit lazy, I never prepared the sorrel, instead having loads of Rexona and orange juice. Today though, as I whip up a pelau, and despite the summer thus far being a soggy mess here in London, I was in the mood for a tropical, summery burst of joy.

It's really very easy to make once you have the main ingredient - the sepals of the sorrel flower. Usually you can buy these fresh, but since I was away from home, I bought some dried sorrel. You also need spices, typically cinnamon and cloves, and sugar to taste.  My mother told me to steep the sorrel but I did boil it a bit, cause I am impatient. The smell was heavenly and after it had all cooled and was sweetened, the taste was even more heavenly. If you have Angostura Bitters, dash some of that in it too. And add some stronger spirits, like rum, if you really want to spice up the ting, which I did! It was a piece of Trinidad in soggy London.

My pack of dried sorrel; the dried sorrel in the pot with the cinnamon and cloves; boil boil boil sorrel;
the beautiful scarlet coloured concoction, ready to be sweetened and "spirited"

I took my sorrel and my yummy poppyseed crackers to the couch, where I proceeded to flip through the hundreds of channels, looking for one show that would hold my attention for at least an hour, while my pelau did its thing on a low heat. Instead, I got Dynasty, Murder, She Wrote, Law and Order episodes with Chris Noth (ancient!!), Diagnosis Murder (really??), Dawson's Creek - wow, that one really took me back. I mean, can you believe paying money every month to see shows as old as the road? Is it any wonder why, trapped indoors because of the wind and rains, and at the mercy of corporate London,  I am incredibly bored?

Still, I had my summery sorrel! And after a long day of grocery shopping, kitchen prep, cooking, with a terrible shoulder pain, having slipped in the bathroom this morning, I needed a sorrel break!

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Medieval TV Pleasure: Game of Thrones

Sean Bean is...was Lord Eddard Stark
in HBO's Game of Thrones

I don't watch a whole lot of television here in London mainly because I previously did not have time for tv and I try not to get too involved in too many shows for fear of being tied to a television all day and all night. The must-see shows of my life are really Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

I will now unabashedly add HBO's Game of Thrones to the list. I have been hooked for a while now, but after watching last night's episode, I just thought I would openly say - I am a believer. I have not read the books yet but HBO has done an amazing job roping me in every week. It is probably the only show that grips you every single week, with each episode having the drama and suspense of a season finale.

It also does not hurt that besides fantastic performances from every single member of the cast, the man candy in this series is STELLAR. I mean, that Stark family alone has some great genetic blessings. I love Sean Bean - always have, always will - so last night's episode was rough on the tear ducts. As an aside, to the whiners who are claiming they will not watch another episode because of last night's "shocking" twist - get over yourselves. I have not read the books just yet, but I am always happy when the cinematic version sticks as close to the book as possible. Sean Bean is awesome, yes, but please - get a life. Seriously. It's amazing what some people would get their knickers in a knot for. If they put half of that energy into..I dunno...looking after the world's sick and destitute, then the world would be a great place. God! I mean, it's tv!!

Anyway - man candy. The Stark kids also have it going on, notably of course, Robb Stark and his "bastard" brother, Jon Snow.

The Stark men - Jon Snow, Bran Stark and Rob Stark in HBO's Game of Thrones

While not on the same level or in the same stratosphere as Game of Thrones, I am also loving Camelot. I mean, Joe Fiennes is in it. Duh. Even as a bald sorcerer, he is the cat's meow.

Joseph Fiennes as Merlin in Starz's Camelot

Eva Green is exceptional though as Morgan le Fay, and is beautiful yet deceptive and dangerous.

Eva Green as Morgan le Fay in Starz's Camelot

The casting of Arthur, in my opinion, was a tremendous and epic fail. The dude grates on my nerves, but hopefully he may prove me wrong in upcoming episodes.

In any event, this needed to be said. Back to our regular programming. I cannot wait for the real season finale this Sunday. Oh...the suspense, HBO. God damn you!

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Sing A Song, Seattle Grace: Grey's Musical Event

Celebration! No class and Grey's Anatomy! Cheers!

So first, some good news. Yesterday I had my...wait for it...my last class. There was no celebration or champagne. It was a pretty dull class about corporate governance and having not slept the night before or eaten for that matter, I was not in a fun place. But my days of 5am wake up calls, and dashing for the 6.34 bus are over! Needless to say, the grandpappy of assignments still plagues my life - the dissertation and another minor annoyance better known as a mood board (yes, believe it...I have to do a MOOD BOARD!!). However, the end is nigh, peeps! The end is nigh!
And a bit of housekeeping. Click here, like it, that's all.

And now to the crux of the matter...

Sara Ramirez as Dr Calliope "Callie" Torres

I am not sure I have truly expressed how I feel about Grey's Anatomy on my blog. I have mentioned my love for the show in passing a couple times but in reality, I love it. Being in London, while a great experience on a lot of fronts, is a total Grey's buzzkill. Sadly, as with most of the American shows, the episodes are behind the US airings - 7 episodes behind. I can stream the episodes of course, but the fun was always in watching the show with friends via Facebook. There is a cult following on my friends' list and now they watch it without me and I have to catch up. And I just realised as well, that I am going to have to miss the awesome experience of watching the Grey's finale with friends as well.  The Grey's finales are usually epic and a must-see and had I used the grey matter that I have been putting to the test on assignments and exams, to plan my "vacation", I would have booked my flight after the finale. lol. Yes..it's that serious.

In any event, the Grey's musical event was tonight, or in my case, this morning (wow...it's 4am!), and I will admit, I had some serious misgivings about this. While I love a show trying new formats, I was not feeling a musical Grey's. I could not imagine my favourite surgeons singing, scalpels in hand. It sounded awful, mind numbing and annoying. So what did I think of it then?

Eric Dane as Dr Mark "McSteamy" Sloan

There were some brief nauseating musical moments like Owen's sudden outburst to calm the other attendings. Could have done without that. I thought sometimes the singing got in the way of the script. I must say, the singing was good but when I tune in to watch Grey's, I want the drama. If I wanted to watch tv musicals, I would watch Glee. It was just too much for me, for the most part. But to Shonda's credit, it did not overwhelm the story as much as I thought it would. It was woven in to the episode where it made sense and at least there was no dancing in the hallways of the hospital or anything. The Callie sequences were the ones that worked best and made the most sense and fed into the emotion of the episode. Not to mention Sara Ramirez's voice is beautiful. Amazing! Callie worked. She worked. Cro Magnon and Karev - not so much. lol. Kudos to McDreamy aka Patrick Dempsey for admitting he cannot sing and would not be singing. I could not have my image of him tainted by out of tune, no tonal quality squawking. I give the episode an 8 still - it was not that bad really. I survived.

*spoiler alert - stop if you don't want to know how it ended*

The episode itself was brilliant and of course, tear jerking and it was not even 2 minutes into the thing and I was beside myself. I kinda wish Callie had woken up with amnesia and forgotten she was in love with Arizona and then maybe see Mark and fall madly in love with him but no such luck. The Callie/Arizona wedding is looming. God. I feel it for poor Meredith though. And finally, the student is outshining the teacher and Dr Altman is suffering from Christina tabanca - I mean, first Christina took her man and now like she want to take the wuk too. Heifer. lol..

I am so glad it had a cliched tv end - with baby and mama alive. If the baby had gotten up and sang, it would have been the end for me though.

Let's hope they never do a musical Law and Order: SVU. I do not think I am ever going to be ready for a singing Det Stabler.

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In the Real World, 5pm is usually Happy Hour

4.45pm. You're sitting chatting with your homie on Facebook - laughing, carefree, animated. Laughing over the Jeopardy video that has had you laughing all day (I have embedded it below)
4.52pm. Your eyes dart from your mobile phone, to the laptop clock, to the alarm clock on your nightstand, to the online alarm you set this morning.
4.55pm - You close the FB conversation so you can focus your attention 100% to the task at hand. Steely determination and focus!
4.57pm - 89 other hopefuls around London are glued to their laptops and library monitor screens, just waiting and praying
4.59 pm - You start clicking on the link in case your clocks are all frickin' slow.
5.00pm - You're still clicking until....there it is...the link that says SIGN UP NOW.

You click.
You're in.
You have signed up.
Success. Is. Yours.

Cartwheels and happy dance.

You have gotten your first choice of dissertation supervisor. lol.

Never in my entire frickin' life has something so un-fun been so damn exciting and somewhat nerve wracking. The above is a true story and not a joke. At 5pm, the entire Marketing class of 2010-2011 waited by their technology to sign up for the man or woman who would either make their postgraduate lives a relief or a nightmare. I can tell you my nightmare is just being here, in school, poor and un-divaesque. Adding a crappy supervisor to the ordeal was really NOT an option. I sat here in my silk PJs, praying to the broadband gods that BT did not pull an internet stunt today of all days. But I was most prepared to sprint up the street to the cyber cafe and rough up somebody's boy chile, body slam him to the ground and close down his porn videos, to get at one of the computers there to make this sign up thing happen.

Speed dialing has nothing on this dissertation sign up process. In less than maybe 8 seconds, the supervisor spaces were filled. Poor you if you did not get there in time. It's not the best system but I recall my undergrad dissertation process. Ummm...there was none. You were told, "Hey you worthless undergrad, this is your supervisor. Enjoy." Luckily for me, my supervisor was awesome. Having the opportunity to sign up for the person you think might suit your dissertation needs best is a privilege, lemme tell ya.

Now that this is over, I can get back to what I was doing before. I am done crying (see below) and done eating, and maybe I can start working.

By the way...what's a ho?

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Reality TV: Funny Married People

Bill and Giuliana Rancic. Oh, the shoes, Giuliana.

I am sitting here, having an egg white omelette, fresh tomatoes and toasted rolls, with a cup of mochaccino, and watching Giuliana & Bill. I don't really watch a lot of tv these days except when I am having a meal and usually there is nothing on. So not a fan of the show but it is funny - funny in the way that as a woman I can feel sorry for poor Bill, the husband. This episode, which I imagine is an old episode, since everything here is late, is where Giuliana realises she is not legally married in the US, having had her wedding in Capri. First she goes to the instant photo mart to get a new passport photo for her new passport and this chick takes a full makeup bag, complete with eyelash curler, and a light box to have the right lighting for her photo. Her passport photo. Does anyone have a really awesome passport photo? They are usually just a step above a mug shot. It was pretty hilarious to see the photographer at this 30min photo place trying to take this generic photo as she did glamour poses, and he keeps telling her the photo has to be head on. Pretty easy, right? Nope. Poor guy.

Then, she needs to legalise her marriage in the US, which could have just been a quick trip to City Hall, a couple minutes in front of a judge and poof. Legal. Oh no...she goes complete bridezilla. The dress, the cake, the grand ballroom at the Four Seasons. Bill wants 2 people - just himself and her, she wants 500. I am still watching it and she is currently cake tasting and I am laughing my head off because I am saying to myself - This guy must really really REALLY love this woman. I love this dude. As a couple they are cute though - they balance each other out. She is a dreamer and he is a pragmatist. Pretty damn funny.

So cute. I need a change desperately.

In reality, nothing exciting. Just assignment work. Feeling pretty dismal and have not been able to shake it. I have a dinner date on Friday - a proper adult dinner - and that's the one ray of hope for the week. I need some high heeled therapy...clearly. I've also been seriously considering a pixie cut. I dunno - I need something. I have not cut my hair that short in well...ever. But it could be cute, I think. Maybe. I love Ginnifer Goodwin's pixie. Am I cute enough to pull it off? Not sure. I would probably need a job to pay for the regular maintenance of said haircut. Black hair needs extra love than other types of hair - love I am incapable of providing, hence the reason I have a dedicated hairdresser back home. Hair maintenance here in London is EXPENSIVE!!! On a student budget, that pixie cut would be a hot mess. lol. But one can dream and hope. I have not been feeling cute at all lately. I need skin products that I cannot find here, a facial, sleep - to erase the bags under my eyes.  My vanity and selfish money making ways are getting the best of me today. Sorry.

Until then, laughing at this silly show before I get back to work on this ridiculous assignment.

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Real Love

I went to the supermarket today and bought some veggies for the steamer and when I am cutting up my veggies, I usually like to do it in front of the tv, with something on. Well, the "something on" was The Bachelorette, followed by the interview with the last Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars alumnus, Jake Pavelka and the chick he chose, Vienna Girardi. I had a horrible day today and needed the laugh and boy, was this mess amusing.

All I have to say is, there must be a better way for seemingly intelligent people to make a living. On the one hand you have these dudes vying for this Ali chick and talking about this connection and she getting all googly eyed and flustered. Sweetie, these guys are in a contest - a testosterone fuelled race to the finish. It ain't about you. Do these people really believe that after 6 weeks, during which you spend maybe 2 days in total with this person, that you can fall in love? But having not watched any of the previous episodes and putting on the tv near the end, I was saved from most of it, until she goes on the date with the landscaper dude who has the personality of a rock and gives her some sort of bracelet which she gets doubly googly eyed over and which sends her from "we don't have a connection" to rolling around in the grass with him and kissing his forehead. Buddy, if that did it for me eh. And then the loser who did not get a rose at the end and he is all choked up and says it will take him a while to get back to normal. Wow. ABC better be paying you guys some good money to act so dotish, yes.

But the best was the Jake/Vienna interview. That was hilarious. It is clear that this Jake dude has some issues. I giggled in amusement as he struggled to keep his composure in that silent, psycho kinda way you see from all these mean, homicidal husbands or boyfriends on Lifetime as he talked about how Vienna undermines him. So example: he measured the room to arrange the furniture and that gnarly bitch Vienna in her mean undermining way, went and re-measured it even though he had done it already - totally undermining him and emasculating him. Oh poor you. Then apparently he had sex with her for a month and then decided to go on a fast. lol.

"He didn't want to kiss me; I had to ask. And then he decided to go on a fast, for religious reasons, and he didn't want to be intimate. He said it's a sin to do that before marriage and he wanted to cleanse himself...
...But after he finished, he still didn't want to do anything or be with me, and I was like, 'I don't get what's going on!'"

Wow. Okay. And you stayed, honey? The dude was clearly not into you. The rest of this trainwreck involved her crying about her dog and how mean Jake was to it, him constantly being interrupted by her and his emphasis on how yet again she was emasculating him, the host trying to make commess, Jake finally losing the Lifetime face and beating up his leg telling her to be quiet, her storming out and bawling, him sitting there playing it up for the camera, and ABC just doing basically anything they could to make these poor,. pathetic people pull in the ratings. I need some money at the moment but at this price? To act like a nutter on tv? Nah. Wow. I knew there was a reason I did not watch tv on a Monday night.

p.s. I want a Trini Bachelor/Bachelorette. Now that would be entertainment.

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I do in fact read the news

Before there was ever Samantha Jones, my hero, there was Blanche Devereaux and it was with great sadness I read that Rue McLanahan, the actress who brought Blanche into our homes had passed away. I loved that show. Though I am not like my dad who still watches the re-runs for like the millionth time, an episode of Golden Girls always made me laugh. I always had an appreciation for the uninhibited Blanche - for making pensioners sexy and for showing women that sex does not end with babies. You can be sexy and desirable way past 50 and keep the young girls hoppin'. Awww....RIP Blanche.

So on days off, I have a rare luxury - reading the paper and 2 things repulsed me immensely in the news.

1. A man killed himself here yesterday, apparently via hanging. Did the Newsday really need to show the photo of the man's body swinging from the rope? I don't care that it was printed on an inside page. It's just another example of this paper taking liberties with people's emotions and tastes. It was in poor taste.

2. This dude who was and still is a suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway is now a suspect in the murder of a young girl in Peru. Why is this guy still breathing in the free world? I hope now authorities will have evidence to put this dude away forever...if they can ever find him now. edit: Just reading the news, and they got him. Time for this psycho to get what's due to him.

My holiday has been quiet this far. I could not believe how many people were at the gym this morning. I would have thought people would be wrapped up under the sheets with their husbands or wives, but no...they were at the gym on a holiday. Of course, this could mean that these are the single people but if so, then God help single women across the country.

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What Chilli Wants, What Black Women Want

I like reality tv. Not all - you won't catch me watching Tool Academy for example, but I love some reality tv. I watched the season finale of What Chilli Wants today and was happy with her choice cause I thought Bill was hot. I know that there are some black people in the blogosphere who don't like her choice, mainly because Bill is a white dude.

I personally thought Bill was kinda hot and an all round nice guy. Of course this is tv and he could be a total ass, but the point is, there are still so many hang ups about black women dating white men. I see black men, dating non-black women all the time - the white models, the Latina actresses, the Hawaiian pop artistes. This equation does not seem to be an issue. But let the black woman be checkin' on a blue eyed, wavy haired Caucasian, and all hell breaks loose.

Why do we still do this? And this is not only coming from the black men, but also from the black women. I saw a tweet that said something like I want to slit my wrists after watching this show. Chilli makes me ashamed to be a black woman.

Because she had a nice date with a white man? That is so stupid. Chilli is a beautiful woman, and why should she sit around the house, twiddling her thumbs waiting on this perfect black man, if there is a perfectly good white or Latin or Asian man waiting at her doorstep, ready and willing to sweep her off her feet. And guess what, she was totally feeling Floyd Mayweather at first and was willing to see where that could go and then Pretty Boy Floyd left her ass waiting at the dinner table. Soooo...she had a choice - sit around waiting for Floyd, or get going and try something else. C'mon people, get serious.

Regina King, another gorgeous black celeb notes

Black women are the least likely group of women that will date outside of their race. When you have everyone else who is willing to explore but a Black woman is like, "I want me a brother," well, if the brothers are out and they’re open to date everybody and the majority of Black women aren’t willing to look twice when a man outside of their race is sending them messages, then that makes our percentage rate lower and the chances of finding love, because we’re only looking in one specific place for finding love—with Black men. -  Vibe

I have a lot of friends who have married outside of their race, and hell...outside of their countries, thus not limiting themselves. I thought love was far reaching and all encompassing. I thought it was about finding that person who gave you butterflies, who stood by you and supported you through thick and thin, who could make you laugh and be comfortable in your own skin, who you saw a future with - regardless of race. But I guess still for some, it's about race and colour and another blog entry on the topic is ultimately pointless so I will stop here.

She was a little anal and picky, making even the pickiest of us look like Mother Mary, but I think she got the picture soon enough that the long list would not get her any lovin' anytime soon. I still think Bill was kinda hot, except for the little bump on his nose, which a good plastic surgeon can fix, so you go Chilli.

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The Finale that left us breathless...

I think I am all over the cybersphere with Grey's. It was just awesome awesome awesome.

My fab Facebook/BBM friends and fellow fanatics:

I have no words...no words after last night. Ok maybe just one...BRILLIANT!

It was just epic, just brilliant, the best in Primetime I have seen for a while. When Clark shot annoying Reed point blank I knew we had trouble.



All I could say is thank God meh heart strong eh!! from the beginning my jaw was on the floor, straight till the end
 
Such a great show! I am especially appreciative of the fact that there were no cliff-hangers - who hadda dead, dead and who hadda live, live.



This woman, Shonda Rhimes looking to kill people. I swear, if the earth had shook last night in Trinidad as it did in Costa Rica, I would have not been bothered cause I was right there at Seattle Grace, right with all of these amazing people. I am still stunned by its awesomeness and wow...I almost love this woman. - trininista

 
I posted my epic review of this epic episode this morning, after my local IP failed me last night because it was penned right after the show ended, such was the fabness!

Shonda, even with all the gore (I mean, damn...Reed's bullet to the head made me jump off the couch) kept the show's Greyness, with the relationships still being the focal point of all the drama. The relationship between Owen and Cris and Teddy and Owen's indecision and lunacy. The relationship between Cris and Mer, cause Mer told her first about being pregnant and even though she had just ended it with Owen, Cris was too happy for her friend and to be godmother if the worst should happen - which it almost did (damn you Shonda). The beginning of one love (Alex and Lexie) totally ending the hope for another love (Lexie and Mark, but not that I was hoping, just felt really bad for Markie). The love one woman has for the entire world and how it takes such a toll on HER emotions (Bailey). The lesbian love which seems destined to haunt us. The love between a man and a woman, so deep that not even death could tear them apart (Mer and McDreamy). The love of that guy, that father figure, that man who would not leave his troops behind, who would not retreat in defeat, who would risk his own life to ensure his hospital was safe and who without a doubt has the balls, the passion, the experience and the heart to get back his frickin job as Chief. My Chief!

We loved it, we shared in every jaw dropping, nail biting moment. If nothing else exciting were to happen this week, at least we would have Grey's Anatomy. Thank you Shonda. Thank you ABC! Still want you to keep Flash Forward but I will try not to push it.
Gotta love social networking and how it makes being a tv drama fan so much fun. But the real question now is, what do I do on Thursday nights until it comes back on in the fall? (scratches head)

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The Season Finale that may change everything!!!

One of the highly anticipated events this week, if not THE most highly anticipated event, is not related to our local election or any global events. It's the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I think I can safely say that women AND men here and around the world are eager to see who gets shot, who dies, who the shooter is etc. It's amazing how we can become so invested in television dramas. I see the Facebook updates and tweets about 24, Lost, Law and Order (its cancellation is a travesty) and of course, Grey's Anatomy.

Now I already review the Grey's episodes every week on Facebook for my friends and I to discuss (gotta love social networking) but now with all the hype, intrigue and excitement, there was talk of a Grey's finale party or after-party. Though it is too late now for a party during the show and I am not sure our hearts could take it, I found someone who has had a Grey's party and wow... I mean I love Grey's to no end, but nah...this is something I probably would not do. Creative though. Good idea if you really want to do a full blown theme party. I was just thinking along the lines of maybe some wine, some chicken wings and Kleenex.

In any event, in just over a day we will have the answers to all our questions and come Friday, we will either be devastated, relieved, stunned, or disappointed. Hoping there is no disappointment.

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Season Finales and Election Finales

When ABC killed Robert McAllister last night it was shocking to say the least. I only read later that Rob Lowe was not planning on coming back to Brothers and Sisters. But who else wants to leave the alphabet network's shows? Still holding out hope for Chief Webber this Thursday.

Sadly, I am more interested in North American television than I am in local election coverage. With the exception of Keith Rowley's meeting in Diego Martin West the other day, I have not paid attention to the rallies or picong coming out of the elections. Last night, while channel jumping during commercials, I stumbled upon the interviews with Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Patrick Manning on separate networks. To say I was unimpressed would be an understatement. The selection of journalists on the latter was both obvious and mind boggling as one gentleman seemed almost nervous and scared. On the other hand, the woman running for PM seemed unprepared where her adversary seemed mightily and  way too relaxed. Needless to say, I went back to ABC and the season finales.

And come election night, one of my favourite shows goes off air forever, so I will most likely be locked on NBC for the series finale of Law and Order. Does it mean I am not invested in what the future holds for my country? Of course I am. But so far I have not been impressed by what the political merchandisers have been selling and have not yet been convinced to buy. Nothing much has changed from the last elections to now, and though I do have opinions and thoughts, you will not see me expressing them via tweets or status updates, nor will I change my profile photo to a political symbol. I will probably vote and exercise my right to choose and I will  wait eagerly to see how the electorate has responded to what has been an exceptionally poor showing by our leaders. I will do so quietly and in my own way.

But thank God for cable. Thank God for tv dramas and season finales. Expressive I am, and will be.

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Weekend winners

I just sat and watched England put a hurtin' on Australia in the World Twenty20 World Cup final in Barbados. It was a great game and I was supporting the Barmy Army from the moment they qualified for the final, and then when it was decided that they would face the often dishonest Aussies, my support was confirmed. So congrats to them. But God, does my cricket captain and his band of hopeless men not feel a twinge of regret that I have to sit in my house, along with millions of other West Indians, and support a foreign team in the final? The absolutely dismal performance in that last game makes me wonder if they even care about the legacy left by the greats and the one they are leaving for the future generation of young WI players and fans.

Oh well. I washed my car this morning so that the girl would be reflected in her car - so did all the mats and gave it a thorough up and down, through and through, only to see thick dark rainclouds outside my window. Go figure.

This week is what I call finale week with season finales for some of my shows - Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters and of course, Grey's Anatomy. The gang and I have been speculating on who the shooter and the victim(s) will be in the finale of Grey's and the excitement is building. And with Dell being given the kiss of death last week in the finale of Private Practice, chances of the victim being a key player are very good.

Oh, and yeah, there's work too. Can't forget that, can I?

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