Alright I botched up. I should not have changed the name. It sounded cool for a couple of hours, but now, half a day later, I feel it is just not me. I have feedback that people prefer my old name, I admit I do prefer the old name, and I realised the reason I took that in the first place was because that is just so quintessentially me.
Besides, my third ex also remarked that the new name is just not me, since I am a lover, not a fighter. He says I am more of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet than Julius Caesar or Othello. It is like trying on a new pair of shoes which just does not fit me.
When I said my original name is so simple compared to some of the more sophisticated names I came across, he said that is precisely why it is so me, as I am not a fancy person. So a simple name fits me like a glove, whereas something more sophisticated will not. And that was just what he loved about me - being simple. Hmmm.... is that a good thing? So now I am changing back to the original one, with the original tagline (or a bit of changes to it). Never will I change it again, unless I find something that can suit me even better.
I was sorting out some old DVDs when I came across "Love Actually". I love that show! It brought back a lot of memories for me. It was the first Hugh Grant show I watched with my third ex (both of us consider him as one of our favourite actors), two weeks before our first Christmas. And I remember coming out of the movie theatre after the show with my spirits uplifted. Needless to say I re-watched it, and was delighted to find that I have the original version (the one with the porn stars).
The show is heart-warming as there are little vignettes involving love of all kinds. There is love amongst siblings, friends, employer-employee, secret admiration of a co-worker, free and casual love, love due to connection, husband and wife, inter-cultural love, and even young puppy love of adolescence. The main message is on how love occurs most during Christmas, probably because when everyone is in a Christmas spirit, there is just an outburst of emotions and feelings for everyone. And at Christmas, one tells the truth and spends time with the person or people you love the most.
The story started off with this has-been rock star called Billy Mack, who was trying to revive his career by singing "Christmas Is All Around", an improvisation from Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around". Ten years ago, when Hugh Grant starred in "Four Weddings And A Funeral", this was one of the songs, and now ten years later, the song, with a bit of the lyrics changed, was again played in another show which he starred in.
Billy Mack had a rotund manager called Joe whom he always took for granted and abused. Joe's aim in life was only to help Billy revive his career. When Billy's song became Number 1 during Christmas Eve, Joe was so happy for him, but left when Billy was invited to a glamourous party by Elton John. However, Billy came to him just before Christmas and said that during Christmas Eve, he wanted to spend time with the person who meant the most to him, and it just so happened that the person he loved the most was Joe, who had been his manager since he was down in the dumps.
The second vignette was on a pair of porn stars who got to know each other only through filming. They talked throughout the filming, on breaks, realised they had a connection with each other, and went out when the filming wrapped up to celebrate. When he walked her home, she told him that all she wanted for Christmas was him. They went to a Christmas concert on Christmas Eve, met their friends, and he proposed to her there and then.
The third vignette was on a widower called Daniel whose wife just passed away and his step-son seemed upset about something. So he talked to the boy and realised that the boy was in love with his classmate. Daniel put up a very touching speech during the funeral on how much he loved his wife. So he encouraged the boy to tell the girl how he felt. The boy decided to play in a band for the Christmas concert as his target of affection was the lead singer.
After the concert, Daniel rushed him all the way to the airport for the boy to bid farewell to the girl who was leaving for America. So he ran into the departure gates and realised that the girl knew his name all along. And when he was caught and escorted back to his father by the airport security, the girl specially came out and kissed him. How sweet and innocent! :-) Daniel himself found new love with his son's classmate's mum, who looked exactly like Claudia Schiffer (considering it was acted by her).
The third vignette was on Jamie, whose girlfriend was cheating on him with his brother. He came home from a wedding and caught the two of them in the act, so went to a countryside in France to concentrate on writing a novel. The countryside is really beautiful and inspiring for novel writing (tip to those who are thinking of writing novels). He had a Portugese domestic helper called Aurelia whom he would drive home everyday, and although they could not communicate since he could not speak Portugese and she could not speak English, they still managed to discover feelings for each other.
Jamie took a crash course in Portugese the moment he went back to England, and on Christmas Eve, after depositing gifts to his family, took a plane to Marseilles to try to win her over. He went to the restaurant where she was working in and proposed to her, and he discovered she actually learnt English for him too.
It was through this show that I really noticed Colin Firth. He is always the prim, proper, traditional, gentlemanly typical Englishman. In "Bridget Jones' Diary", Bridget was bored by his aristocratic, boring and proper ways, only to find that he was the one that treated her the best. In "Love Actually", he was again the proper gentleman. Like outside the airport at Marseilles, even when he was in a hurry, he would let a lady take the cab first. Now how many local guys will do that?
The fourth vignette was on Harry and his family. He was the typical man of the house who worked and supported the family while his wife stayed home and took care of the kids and household. Harry owned a design firm and newly hired a very pretty secretary called May, who had the hots for him and never hesitated to hint to him. Harry tried to get Sarah and Karl, two co-workers who had crushes on each other, together.
Harry kept dancing with May during the company's Christmas party, totally neglecting his wife. His wife started to suspect something, even more so when she caught him buying an expensive necklace but in the end he did not give it to her. When at the end of the show she confronted him with it, he looked so regretful and still went back to the family.
The fifth vignette was on a wedding of Peter and Juliet. Keira Knightley is so sweet! I cannot wait to see her in the upcoming "Pride And Prejudice". She really fits the role of Elizabeth Bennet. It was a simple but sweet wedding. Peter's best friend Mark was actually in love with Juliet but he pretended to behave coldly towards her so they would not suspect anything. Only when she accidentally stumbled onto her wedding video at his place, where the snapshots were all close-ups of her, that she realised how he felt.
Mark came to visit her on Christmas Eve, and declared that he would always love her as she was still the perfect girl for him. But he said that since it was Christmas, he just wanted to tell the truth, and was not hoping for anything. Juliet gave him a kiss as appreciation and he was really happy with that.
The sixth vignette was on a sex-crazed desperate guy called Colin, who thought that British girls were too stuck-up, and flew all the way to America just to find love (hidden meaning : sex). He got his wish when he picked up three girls in a bar and they got involved in a foursome (or is it fivesome, since the "sexy" roommate came back at the moment).
The seventh vignette was on the two co-workers, Sarah and Karl. They danced together during the company's Christmas party, and was about to start something wonderful, when Sarah chose her mentally-disabled brother over Karl. She said it was her responsibility to take care of him, thus she decided to be at her brother's beck and call no matter what happened. It was so sad to sacrifice the very guy she was waiting for! It seemed so unlikely that she would ever find another guy again, especially someone with such a well-chiselled face, unruly hair which I can just foresee my fingers running through, and such a body!
And of course, the last vignette was on the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) himself. He was trying to cope with the pressures of being the new Prime Minister, at the same time falling for his assistant Natalie. When the US President arrived on a diplomatic mission and started flirting with Natalie, the Prime Minister decided not to be on good diplomatic ties with the US and fought for his country. In the end, when Natalie sent him a card declaring that she belonged only to him, he went to her home and chased her back.
The show endeared me to reflect on the meaning of love and Christmas. What is love and what is the spirit of true love? True love transcends race (black and white), cultures (British and Portugese), deepest and closest friendships, sibling love, and involves self-sacrificing for the one you love. Love exists among all people, young or old, rich or poor, black or white, yellow or brown. It was a very meaningful lesson for me.
"What do you want for Christmas?" I asked him after the show.
"All I want for Christmas .... is YOU." said he.
And I cried, sniffles mingled with joy. And we had a very magical Christmas.
Yes, I still remember.......
Besides, my third ex also remarked that the new name is just not me, since I am a lover, not a fighter. He says I am more of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet than Julius Caesar or Othello. It is like trying on a new pair of shoes which just does not fit me.
When I said my original name is so simple compared to some of the more sophisticated names I came across, he said that is precisely why it is so me, as I am not a fancy person. So a simple name fits me like a glove, whereas something more sophisticated will not. And that was just what he loved about me - being simple. Hmmm.... is that a good thing? So now I am changing back to the original one, with the original tagline (or a bit of changes to it). Never will I change it again, unless I find something that can suit me even better.
I was sorting out some old DVDs when I came across "Love Actually". I love that show! It brought back a lot of memories for me. It was the first Hugh Grant show I watched with my third ex (both of us consider him as one of our favourite actors), two weeks before our first Christmas. And I remember coming out of the movie theatre after the show with my spirits uplifted. Needless to say I re-watched it, and was delighted to find that I have the original version (the one with the porn stars).
The show is heart-warming as there are little vignettes involving love of all kinds. There is love amongst siblings, friends, employer-employee, secret admiration of a co-worker, free and casual love, love due to connection, husband and wife, inter-cultural love, and even young puppy love of adolescence. The main message is on how love occurs most during Christmas, probably because when everyone is in a Christmas spirit, there is just an outburst of emotions and feelings for everyone. And at Christmas, one tells the truth and spends time with the person or people you love the most.
The story started off with this has-been rock star called Billy Mack, who was trying to revive his career by singing "Christmas Is All Around", an improvisation from Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around". Ten years ago, when Hugh Grant starred in "Four Weddings And A Funeral", this was one of the songs, and now ten years later, the song, with a bit of the lyrics changed, was again played in another show which he starred in.
Billy Mack had a rotund manager called Joe whom he always took for granted and abused. Joe's aim in life was only to help Billy revive his career. When Billy's song became Number 1 during Christmas Eve, Joe was so happy for him, but left when Billy was invited to a glamourous party by Elton John. However, Billy came to him just before Christmas and said that during Christmas Eve, he wanted to spend time with the person who meant the most to him, and it just so happened that the person he loved the most was Joe, who had been his manager since he was down in the dumps.
The second vignette was on a pair of porn stars who got to know each other only through filming. They talked throughout the filming, on breaks, realised they had a connection with each other, and went out when the filming wrapped up to celebrate. When he walked her home, she told him that all she wanted for Christmas was him. They went to a Christmas concert on Christmas Eve, met their friends, and he proposed to her there and then.
The third vignette was on a widower called Daniel whose wife just passed away and his step-son seemed upset about something. So he talked to the boy and realised that the boy was in love with his classmate. Daniel put up a very touching speech during the funeral on how much he loved his wife. So he encouraged the boy to tell the girl how he felt. The boy decided to play in a band for the Christmas concert as his target of affection was the lead singer.
After the concert, Daniel rushed him all the way to the airport for the boy to bid farewell to the girl who was leaving for America. So he ran into the departure gates and realised that the girl knew his name all along. And when he was caught and escorted back to his father by the airport security, the girl specially came out and kissed him. How sweet and innocent! :-) Daniel himself found new love with his son's classmate's mum, who looked exactly like Claudia Schiffer (considering it was acted by her).
The third vignette was on Jamie, whose girlfriend was cheating on him with his brother. He came home from a wedding and caught the two of them in the act, so went to a countryside in France to concentrate on writing a novel. The countryside is really beautiful and inspiring for novel writing (tip to those who are thinking of writing novels). He had a Portugese domestic helper called Aurelia whom he would drive home everyday, and although they could not communicate since he could not speak Portugese and she could not speak English, they still managed to discover feelings for each other.
Jamie took a crash course in Portugese the moment he went back to England, and on Christmas Eve, after depositing gifts to his family, took a plane to Marseilles to try to win her over. He went to the restaurant where she was working in and proposed to her, and he discovered she actually learnt English for him too.
It was through this show that I really noticed Colin Firth. He is always the prim, proper, traditional, gentlemanly typical Englishman. In "Bridget Jones' Diary", Bridget was bored by his aristocratic, boring and proper ways, only to find that he was the one that treated her the best. In "Love Actually", he was again the proper gentleman. Like outside the airport at Marseilles, even when he was in a hurry, he would let a lady take the cab first. Now how many local guys will do that?
The fourth vignette was on Harry and his family. He was the typical man of the house who worked and supported the family while his wife stayed home and took care of the kids and household. Harry owned a design firm and newly hired a very pretty secretary called May, who had the hots for him and never hesitated to hint to him. Harry tried to get Sarah and Karl, two co-workers who had crushes on each other, together.
Harry kept dancing with May during the company's Christmas party, totally neglecting his wife. His wife started to suspect something, even more so when she caught him buying an expensive necklace but in the end he did not give it to her. When at the end of the show she confronted him with it, he looked so regretful and still went back to the family.
The fifth vignette was on a wedding of Peter and Juliet. Keira Knightley is so sweet! I cannot wait to see her in the upcoming "Pride And Prejudice". She really fits the role of Elizabeth Bennet. It was a simple but sweet wedding. Peter's best friend Mark was actually in love with Juliet but he pretended to behave coldly towards her so they would not suspect anything. Only when she accidentally stumbled onto her wedding video at his place, where the snapshots were all close-ups of her, that she realised how he felt.
Mark came to visit her on Christmas Eve, and declared that he would always love her as she was still the perfect girl for him. But he said that since it was Christmas, he just wanted to tell the truth, and was not hoping for anything. Juliet gave him a kiss as appreciation and he was really happy with that.
The sixth vignette was on a sex-crazed desperate guy called Colin, who thought that British girls were too stuck-up, and flew all the way to America just to find love (hidden meaning : sex). He got his wish when he picked up three girls in a bar and they got involved in a foursome (or is it fivesome, since the "sexy" roommate came back at the moment).
The seventh vignette was on the two co-workers, Sarah and Karl. They danced together during the company's Christmas party, and was about to start something wonderful, when Sarah chose her mentally-disabled brother over Karl. She said it was her responsibility to take care of him, thus she decided to be at her brother's beck and call no matter what happened. It was so sad to sacrifice the very guy she was waiting for! It seemed so unlikely that she would ever find another guy again, especially someone with such a well-chiselled face, unruly hair which I can just foresee my fingers running through, and such a body!
And of course, the last vignette was on the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) himself. He was trying to cope with the pressures of being the new Prime Minister, at the same time falling for his assistant Natalie. When the US President arrived on a diplomatic mission and started flirting with Natalie, the Prime Minister decided not to be on good diplomatic ties with the US and fought for his country. In the end, when Natalie sent him a card declaring that she belonged only to him, he went to her home and chased her back.
The show endeared me to reflect on the meaning of love and Christmas. What is love and what is the spirit of true love? True love transcends race (black and white), cultures (British and Portugese), deepest and closest friendships, sibling love, and involves self-sacrificing for the one you love. Love exists among all people, young or old, rich or poor, black or white, yellow or brown. It was a very meaningful lesson for me.
"What do you want for Christmas?" I asked him after the show.
"All I want for Christmas .... is YOU." said he.
And I cried, sniffles mingled with joy. And we had a very magical Christmas.
Yes, I still remember.......
2 comments:
Wao... a good summary on Love Actually. Though I didn't watch the original version, I think I have missed more than just a porn star?.. I heard there are another vignette
Eh? Nothing much already. Everything else is inside, only the part with the porn stars were cut, although I wonder why because it's not as if there's much to show - nothing was really exposed, and when they got together was really touching.
Post a Comment