2009.... A Year in Review

Ooooh, looky me, sounding all business-like. But honestly I do like to look back on life occasionally, to see where I've come, what I've done, what's changed, and then to ponder about what my future might hold. And what better time is there to do it than at New Years Eve.




So, Big One, I got married this year. Massive change. Went on a European 5 week holiday that was so necessary it was ridiculous, discovering countries, cultures and people as we went. Also discovered that it's not so scary out there travelling, and that the rest of the world IS abundant with tourists, much like ourselves. Especially in Venice :)



Moved in with Hubbie. Moving away from home for the first time is a huge thing, but for me it was moving from the only place I called home, living with my folks, to living with Hubbie. Despite the lack of transitional period, I settled down well, once we received our furniture that is. I think it definitely helps to be ready for it.



I've gotten a permanent full-time job! It's the same job, but it just means there's no contract with an end date looming in the near future... so that's fantastic, with the economy scares around the world as of late.



As per usual I have Resolutions for the New Year.



1. To increase my Vitamin D intake by sitting in the sun more ( I love doing it anyway! ) and eating foods that are rich in the vitamin. This resolution comes after coming back from the doctor's yesterday, and being told my Vitamin D was a 29. It's supposed to be 75-250 or something like that. So that's WAY off. And now I'm pissed. I'm gonna try do it the healthier way, without tablets.



2. To decrease arm fat. My friends would kill me if they knew what I was saying. You can call me ridiculous, whereas I will call myself a perfectionist (even though I argue that there is no such thing as perfection, go figure) but the other day I looked at my arms - funnily after watching the doco Pumping Iron with Arnie in his early years as brick machine - and I thought "these arms can be more toned."



3. To generally get more toned, in particular to target my tummy and reduce the fat there. Once again I duplicate the second line of the 2nd point above. And the first half of the 3rd line there. This has been an ongoing thing for me, and I've realised that some stuff I've read online (the true stuff) about not being able to reduce tummy weight without working the rest of your body, is (SHOCK HORROR!) actually true, because since I've been married, my tummy has gotten flatter yet I've done no more exercise than usual, which is actually nothing. It's all the cleaning I do. And maybe the less carbs who knows.



4. To read more. Because I love it.



As you can see, these resolutions are predominantly health-related, because the key thing is, without health you can't have true happiness. It may be slightly appearance oriented, however I don't think my intentions are without merit, that is, I know what's most important. And that's to feel good inside out:)



Then the world smiles with you :)



May you have an incredibly fantastic New Year 2010.

December is what happened

Well, it has been one crazy month. Crazy busy as I like to say, and also crazy-blogless.




What can I say? December is my answer :) Christmas presents, thank you cards for the wedding, and it seems like a million other things, as we've been busy every weekend and even weeknights.



What is new? We have a bird. Well it's not a brand NEW bird but it's Hubbie's bird, having recently relocated to our place from his parents. He is quite the character. We reckon he's a Leo because he always wants to be the centre of attention and yells a lot.



We've done more to our house, which is great, it's more presentable and has more gadgety things (!) but at the same time, we're looking to move into a bigger house.



Two recent episodes from the last month which stand out to me now, are to do with the issue of invitations. Something about this topic I always come back to. Maybe because my very first blog was concerned with invitations I had verbally and electronically given out for my birthday.



But anyway, in the last month, I have been told I was going to be a bridesmaid by a bride-to-be, and then subsequently have had no mention of it by the bride-to-be at the next gathering (albeit not as drunk gathering.) I may speak about this in detail in a future blog, if I feel like it. It's complicated. I'm sure you have time.



And after that incident, in another blow, I found out my best friend and her boyfriend already had made New Years plans without us, passing on to spending New Years with her boyfriends best friend and girlfriend.



.................................................



Just giving you a moment to think about that one. It's not like we're exclusive to each other, that we only see each other and only go out with each other, nothing like that. Just don't say you forgot when I ask you about your New Years plans. I know it may not have been deliberate, but funny how they (minus my bestie) were talking about reservations at a hotel for their New Years plans a few weeks ago, while Hubbie and I sat next to them at a concert. Interesting to hear that we'd been 'forgotten' when we were within earshot.



Interesting.



I understand that I could be blowing it all out of proportion once again, as that's what I do best, because it could have been my bestie's boyfriends best mate's girlfriend

........................................................................................

catched up? - that had planned the night, therefore you can't really invite others when someone has invited you and planned it.



If that's it that's cool.



But I don't get the forgotten bit. Hubbie and I don't forget people. So how do people forget us? Like honestly, is that saying something about people in general? Or am I making an ant into an elephant, once again?



I think it's to do with my other issue..... of which I may or may not divulge in a future blog.



That's my bit for now.

Thanks, I'll take that compliment

I'm feeling very proud of myself. Very pleased indeed. It's definitely a good way to be feeling on a Friday morning, as you're about to embark on the fabulous trip known as 'the weekend.'


I passed a test yesterday. A very important one. I guess those who may not have received such a high score would be feeling a bit bad, they might even try to diminish the importance of the test, just so that they wouldn't feel so bad.

But let me tell you, that's a bad, bad thing to do. Because this test affects your life.

I passed a health check.

Yes that's right. Think about it. Various parts of you are tested. If the health professional finds that you are making the right health choices in your life, obviously you get a higher score. However if you haven't placed enough emphasis on doing the right things in life to keep you fit and healthy, well then........

You end up like some people around here. With a low score, feeling bad, and not talking much about it.

I didn't really know what to think, going into it. I consider myself a healthy person, but I've never really had my health checked. I never really thought I should. I guess that's a big mistake some people make, one I'm very aware of. Just because you're skinny it doesn't mean you're fit and/or healthy. But I always said to myself that once I'd settled down and the wedding was over, I wanted to get myself checked. And a few weeks back, when I got the email, advising of free health checks in our workplace, I knew it was something I HAD to do.

And I was soooo pleased I did do it. The health check was comprised of a blood pressure test, waist measurement, pin prick to test blood, and a simple questionnaire that asked about your daily health activities and choices.

My blood pressure was a good reading. It was low, and apparently it's good to be low. I can't remember the reading, but the numbers 105/73 are popping up in my head, so it might have been around that number.

It turns out, my cholesterol was like 5.3. I think that was my overall cholesterol reading, and it's supposed to be under 5.5, so that was good. But it was my good cholesterol that stunned the guy, myself included. Usually you're supposed to have like a 1.0 reading, I think that's normal. But mine was 1.6, 60% higher than the general population. It was not just good, but GREAT! I suddenly thought of all those almonds I'd been eating..... and felt extremely proud of myself.

My waist measurement was in check, it was 70cm, and I saw in the health pamphlet that it's supposed to be under 80cm. Well, I knew it was fine because the guy checking me said "perfect," when he measured me. I think he was slightly crushing on me!

I did have a very high blood glucose level, and he thought it may be because I had just eaten. He thought it was weird, because a high level suggests risk of diabetes, whereas all my other tests were suggesting an extremely LOW risk of it. So I ended up coming back at the end of the day, after fasting between that time, to get my blood tested again.

Yuck and Ouch. As soon as he had the blood, I was throwing jelly beans into my mouth so quick. And wonderfully, my level had HALVED, from 7.5 to something like 3-4. AND, in that time my overall cholesterol had dropped. He said my good cholesterol was so good, it was pushing down my bad cholesterol. Oh, come on, keep bringing on the praise!

The ONLY downfall, and I freely admit this (only after pathetically trying to convince the guy that my 5 minutes of walking from the car park to the work building should be added to an exercise total) is that I don't exercise, much.

Ok fine I don't exercise really ever. And I say it like that because I have tried in the last month or so, to lift some weights, do some sit-ups and stuff. But you just get so busy! And then it doesn't become a priority anymore. Which is bad, I know, health should be a priority. Food-wise, I'm a good girl, it's just the physical exertion I need to up.

So he convinced me that taking the train to work would be a better option, because then I could walk to and from the station, and possibly rack up more than 30 mins a day. And all you need is 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

It was such a simple solution, yet I felt like it was such a lightbulb moment.

!

Don't hate me yet, he did give me shit for not exercising. Or did he? When he was trying to work out why I didn't exercise, he asked "Do you have too many mirrors in your house?"

"No, only 2, and they're both upstairs."

Oops. Now he was going to think I didn't wanna WALK upstairs.

"I thought maybe your house was full of mirrors, and when you looked at yourself you thought 'I'm gorgeous, I'm perfect, I don't need to exercise!' "

I paused for a sec, unsure of how to answer that. "No."

Yeah, I've received a similar comment before. But the way this guy said it, and the way he was looking at me (he had the same look as this guy I used to work with had when he spoke to me, and I was PRETTY sure he was crushing on me then) I could sort of see where he was heading.

That's not bad. It's nice to know that although you're taken, whether in a relationship or married, that you're still desired. It's human nature. People want to be wanted. And though they may deny it, they want to be with someone, that's wanted.

So all in all, I was feeling pretty bloody brilliant yesterday. I was feeling damn fine, freaking fantastic about my health, and you know what the overall joy came from? I didn't even try.

When I eat I think about what I'm eating, yes. But I don't obsess. I don't weigh my food, or get obsessed by proportions. I don't restrict certain foods from my diet. I just eat. I crave stuff and I eat. I'm so used to eating good, healthy food, that by the time I'm done, I'm not needing to satisfy my sweet or savoury tooth, because I'm so satisfied. And the days that I am bad, with junk food, and where I just gotta keep eating that cake, I don't feel bad about it. I guess I'm a very balanced eater, and it's paid off for me.

So thanks very much. I will be proud of myself. I'll take that compliment. There is no reason to feel bad or wrong about praising yourself. Because usually, you deserve it. Because, isn't it right that you're your own worst enemy? So who would know you deserve praise better than you?

Indulge a little. I know I am :)

Rain

You know you're in the midst of a drought, when it rains all weekend, and you can't believe it.


When you're leaving home Saturday afternoon, and the rain simply descends. But it doesn't go away like it normally does, no. It just continues, harder and faster, pelting at the car you're in from all directions, until you begin to realise that it isn't going away just yet.

That's when you know you're in a drought.

When you look for parking closer to your destination, just so you can get LESS rained on, rather than totally drenched. When you open up the umbrella when you're still in the car, squirming your way out so to avoid any speck of rain getting on you, even though you know that once you start walking, the rain will give you no mercy. It will attack you from every which direction, and you will be amazed. You will be surprised.

That's when you know you're in the midst of a drought.

When you're walking to the soccer stadium, sharing an umbrella but wishing you each had your own, as your entire right side which is facing the rain starts to soak, and you start to wish you had worn your boots, rather than your open-toed flats. And you ask yourself why it is that last time you wore those flats you were caught in a similar downpour. You begin to question your rain-inspiring shoes. You vow next time to wear those shoes, when the rain is needed.

That's when you know you're in the middle of a drought.

Your shoes get damp, and then are suddenly soaked, through and through, feet and all, as you accidentally step into a puddle when you forgetfully fail to watch your step for a split second. You swear, yell at your umbrella partner, and regretfully begin to accept the rain sloshing through your shoes.

You shake your feet in the air as you walk, trying to get rid of the water, as you try to avoid more puddles, somehow, almost, successfully. You look around and see others around you, running without umbrellas, trying to avoid the inevitable raining crashing down on them, and for a moment you feel good, knowing you are somewhat dry.

Until you step again and the water sloshes around heavily in your flats.

And you ask yourself when was the last time you remember this happening. You can't remember. Other than the time from last week when you wore the same rain-producing flats. There's nothing.

That's when you know you're in the midst of a drought.

When you're on your way back from the soccer, the rain has ceased, but surprisingly, returns with full force once you're in the car, driving back home. This is surprising to you because you dont see rain often. It has become a rare event. You're in a drought.

The following day it rains, on and off. It isn't too severe, but still you're more amazed at the constant determination of the rain than anything else. Not only does it rain, but it comes back. Sudden and swift isn't in its vocabularly, it's a distant cousin of this rain.

That night, as your bed looms at you, yawns approach and everything becomes still, you hear it. The sudden rattling, thunderous pitter-patter that begins on your roof, and in moments envelopes the entire house, all that is around you.

The rain. It has returned. And provided a nice backdrop for sleeping, a kind of musical lullaby, to which you can close your eyes, tune out, and be secure in knowing you are in a good place. You are safe, warm, at home. Tired.

But still you are amazed. Amazed and at awe by this sensation, by this natural phenomenon of water falling from the sky. It falls, sometimes slowly, sometimes fast, in all sorts of directions. It falls and stops, then returns, and sometimes it just doesn't stop. It just varies the speed and direction and force with which it falls.

But all this is so new. Familiar but new, because rain is not a naturally-occuring phenomenon, not where we are anymore. It never comes too often, or stays too long.

That's why we are surprised. We can not believe our luck. The phrase you constantly hear everywhere is "But we need the rain." Perhaps everyone here has said it at least once. That's because we all feel its absence. It comes, dissolves the dryness, returns moisture to the plants, trees, land, animals and the people that so rely on it for survival. It removes the stresses and angers, from our lives. All washes away with rain.

It rejuvenates. It refreshes. But it has been surprising.

We are surprised by its sudden return. Because we are in a drought.



Today is the first day of Summer.

Part 2: my very LONG (but fantastic and in-depth!) New Moon Review

When we were finally allowed back into the cinema, instead of filing in in a single line, it was like lines of 6 and 7 merging together to squeeze into the gap commonly known as the doorway.


My bestie rushed up to our seats and everything was as it should have been: everything was in place, cardi, jacket, bag, mags, refreshments, and THOSE notes. Lol.

As all the Twilight watchers found their seats again, another girl now, also representing the cinema, came in and thanked us for our patience and co-operation. She said that we had been MUCH better than the other cinema-goers. Well of course we had, as more than half of the people in our theatre had already had seats, whereas the other cinemas showing New Moon had people coming in fresh, so they would have been frantically rushing and pushing in to get good seats.

Pat on the back, go us.

We then watched, amused, as all the 'new-comers; practically sprinted in, running to random seats and frantically asking "is this seat taken?"

And we sat, relaxed, awaiting the next couple of hours. So glad we watched Twilight first!

Since it had taken so long to seat everyone, the previews started late, and by this time, I'm sure everyone was hoping to have seen the first half hour of New Moon rather than still be watching film previews.

Every time a preview finished there was an anxious hush of silence. When another movie classification came up, you could hear the frustrated sighs run across the theatre, followed by "geez," and "come on."



"THE REVIEW"



It was all VERY exciting. Once the movie began, after repeated moments from me and bestie of "oh my gosh I can't believe it!' followed by high-pitched "woooooohhhh!" -s, the familiar Summit logo loomed before us and gave us the indication that something great was about to begin.

First the opener. Loved the full moon turning into a new moon to uncover the film title. That was a great effect.

The start was good: hearing Bella open with the Shakespeare quote about "these violent delights have violent ends..." that we first read in the book. Like in the Twilight book, where Bella talks about dying for the one she loves, and in the film, where instead of reading that scene we hear her future thoughts, we also have the opening and pivotal scene in New Moon of Bella rushing through the square towards the Tower to save Edward, much like it's narrative version.

And staying true to the book, we have Bella's dream in which she sees herself as her grandma, the beginning of her ongoing obsession with aging.

The moments I most loved about the film, occurred primarily in the beginning.

I was soooo looking forward to how, and if, the film would portray OR accurately portray the passage of time starting in October that is presented to us in the book by simply stating a month per page, showing us how basic, empty and quick the time has passed for Bella without Edward.

I was moved to tears in the film, I thought it was done brilliantly. The background song "It's a possibility..." looping round and round, as the camera circled her, accompanied very nicely by her emails to Alice, a screen addition that was able to show us Bella's thoughts in another way, was particularly FANTASTIC. I think it showed us her pain really well, along with her screaming nightmares.

When Edward first breaks up with Bella, and then she begins walking around in the forest, finally tripping and staying on the floor of the forest, as again the camera circles in an aerial view from above, although for some viewers I think this would have seemed like a pointless exercise and a bit monotonous, I believe it accurately portrayed how dizzying her world was becoming, and how things were now spiralling out of control. It was a nice metaphor.

The heavy-breathing effect, as Sam emerged from the darkness of the forest carrying Bella: LIKE.

The awkward 'date' with Bella, Jacob and Mike was HILARIOUS. Especially in the cinema, with the guys open and ready-waiting hands on either side of Bella: it was done to true form.

The climactic showdown between Edward and Felix, as Felix attempted to take him down in Volterra in front of the Volturi, was an interesting addition, and definitely added some action that I believe generally lacked in the narrative.

Victoria's run through the forest, coming into a gridlock with Harry Clearwater and then running from the wolves and jumping into the sea, that was good. It paved the way nicely for Bella's own jump, showed the wolves in action as well as the men's hunting, while providing the scene for Harry's heart attack. Applause for the combining of several storylines.

I also loved the little glimmer of the future through Alice's mind, where Aro saw Edward and Bella as vampires. THAT was great! I guess not knowing how things turn out, it was especially exciting for me!

I didn't mind the ending: the showdown between Edward and Jacob, and the way that it appropriately ended with the cliffhanger "Will you marry me?"

What DID upset me slightly in this ending was not the way that it ended, but in the way practically all the teeny-boppers in the cinema reacted: with disappointed and anxiety-riddled excited sighs and screams.

I KNOW that I am in the minority by having only read the first 2 books of the series to date, but I will safely presume that 99.9% of the people in there will have read all of them. So if you know what happens, why are you reacting so strongly? I mean, even with having read the end of New Moon, where the marriage proposal comes earlier in Bella's room and she declines it, I can safely assume I know what happens. (Please don't kill me with spoilers!) Why this blatant and ridiculous display of idiocy and drama from the other girls watching I can't understand!

Now, on the other hand, there was a feeling between our group there, sort of an undefined feeling, but nevertheless a feeling, once the film finished, of "oh."

And it's the same problem that you find with many book to film adaptations, of the film not quite living up to the book in some respect. Now I guess the main problem we saw with the film was that it couldn't quite show the development of the characters relationships: Bella's and Jacob's; Edward's feelings after Jasper attacked Bella; Edward and Bella's subsequent make up; and Bella's fallen out friendships during her hole-in-the-stomach period. This was going to be difficult to do anyway, given the length of time we are reading Bella's thoughts, AND given the length of the book in comparison to the film. Considering the difference, the film did do a good job, it's just so hard to separate the two when you are expecting so much on screen and you keep referring to what you've read: it makes it impossible not to compare as you watch.

I did not particularly like the way Bella jumped on the motorbike of one of the wild guys in Port Angeles: I didn't feel this accurately portrayed her. Yes, she was seeking a thrill, but I found it a bit of an extreme act considering she'd just discovered her adrenaline rush-producing hallucinations.

I see why they did it, with lack of time and all and in line with the general re-shuffling of some scenes and key points, but I didn't expect Bella and Edward to make up so quickly in Volterra. I guess it just came to be what I expected from the film. And I soooo much wanted Edward to breathe "Carlisle was right," when Bella jumped into his arms! But, alas it didn't happen. Much like the line I so much wanted to hear in the Twilight film that came towards the end of the book, after Edward had saved Bella from James, and after sucking out the venom, was now carrying her. I can't remember the exact line, but Edward expressed his love for Bella, and she replied, exhausted by the whole ordeal, simply with "I know." It was so hilarious, simple but poignant, but it missed the book to film translation.

As did the scene in Bella's room in New Moon, where Edward appeared after the Volterra ordeal and she burst out crying, believing she was dead, despite his reassurances of life and love for her. It was so desperate, sad, funny and touching, but something like that, a gem, all those narrative gems, you wonder how they could ever accurately translate into a film, when so much relies on passage after passage, chapter after chapter, continual story build-up, of heartache, desperation and nerves.

I guess there wasn't any real point of disappoint, in terms of a let-down scene, one that not quite lived up to the book, it was just a general run-through of knowing and seeing that the film couldn't keep up. Generally, a book can't provide you with the little details, set you up again and again by keeping Edward away from the action, and give you that incessant feeling of "what is going to happen next? where is this turning point I'm waiting for?" that the book provides. I hear so often of people when having read New Moon for the first time, of being so frustrated, in constantly wondering where Edward was, and always expecting him to turn up and save Bella, without ever doing so.

Although the film shows us the same scenarios, there is the difference in that in the film we do SEE Edward, in Bella's hallucinations. In the book, we can only imagine him, and although it may not seem like much of a difference, it makes us that much more separated and distant from him, makes us long for his character to return even more, and makes us feel as empty and desperate as Bella. Even as a Team Jacob fan, you would be constantly wondering if/how/when Edward was going to return and you'd be second-guessing everything.

I guess New Moon had such a build up and such huge advertising leading up to the premiere, that it was going to be hard, harder for it than for it's predecessor Twilight, to live up to all it's expectations. And that is a problem generally with sequels, none more so than New Moon. Although there was hype with the first film, especially with the die-hard fans of the book, once that became such a box office success, you could almost see the pressure and (unrealistic) expectations already mounting on all the remaining sequels.

The acting was spot on, absolutely superb. Kristen was looking better, more polished, I found Carlisle and Charlie to be so endearing, I love the way their characters are portrayed. Alice is so charming, and Jacob, despite myself being a Team Edward fan, I found really really good. Dakota Fanning as Jane: oh my gosh. Words cannot express how incredible I thought she was, she took on such a different role to others she's had in the past. She's so grown up, and she has fulfilled the role in every possible way, better than expected. Incredible she was.

Despite some of the failings, it doesn't make me love the film version any less. In fact I woke the day after watching it, unable to stop rambling about it to Hubbie, and insisted we must watch it, which we ended up doing a few days ago. My final verdict is: I love it. I guess time has helped me to understand the difficulty of translating text to screen, which I accept more freely now. It was harder to do that in first watching it, after midnight, after such a long anticipating wait and build-up to the main event! I also believe that New Moon is the book in the series that sets a lot of things up: Jacob is a werewolf, we know Edward is a vampire, Bella wants to be a vampire, and there are all sorts of vampires after them for various reasons. I belive there will be a lot of action in the final 2 books, which is why New Moon generally lacked a lot of action. Not having read the last 2, I can't safely presume this, but to me it seems to be the way it's heading.

In case you were wondering.... Hubbie liked it! He hasn't read any of the books, and perhaps because of that, he's liked both without having any problems with the translation of it. I've suggested that he start reading the next two, so that we can argue and debate the whole Twilight series together. I would definitely LOVE that!

Out of 10...... I'd give it an 8. In comparison to the book that is. I still need to watch it at least once more, with my bestie in Gold Class, so I can experience the joy (and sadness) of Bella/Edward/Jacob with refreshments!

However, ideally I'd like to watch it 4 times in total, so I can make it a Full Moon.

LOL. I had to put it in there.

My New Moon Review!

Only a week after the world premiere of one of the most highly-anticipated movie sequels of all time, and only hours away from watching it again with Hubbie (!), I now give you my New Moon review.


Well, part of giving you my review would be setting the scene, and explaining to you what happened that night. So first things first.

Last Wednesday at 9.15pm, we set off to first watch Twilight. As we arrived in the cinema, already you could feel the anticipation. There weren't a lot of people just yet, but you could see that something was brewing. There was a merchandise stand set up on one side, selling all these Twilight-themed items, from tops, bags and bookmarks. Girls were milling around the stand and excitedly pointing things out.

We wanted to get into the cinema early, in order to secure a good seat, especially after I found out that we would be watching New Moon in the very same cinema.

We came at a good time, we were lucky. We were positioned up the back, off to the left side of the centre seats, without being too far left in the left LEFT seats.

The cinema filled up a substantial amount, it was mad. A girl representing the cinema even came out to introduce herself and thank us for coming. She said that while New Moon was playing in the same cinema we were seated in, that we would need to leave momentarily while they cleaned the cinema between movies. However we could leave something like a jacket behind, to save our spots.

As the previews started, and then finally Twilight began, and the opening scene, it was all-too-familiar for everyone there in the cinema, and people were clapping, cheering even, and it wasn't even the main feature!

The one thing that stuck out to me heaps was that I kept turning to my bestie and saying "I love this part!" It happened A LOT. I think that just shows how well Twilight has done in comparison to the book, how the scenes, either the same or different, compliment perfectly.

We had a whole plan for what we would do after the film ended. We were secretly petrified that upon re-entering the cinema, someone would have stolen our seats and thrown our items on the floor, claiming that the cleaners did it. So we hatched an idea.

Once the Twilight credits started rolling, and everyone started leaving, my bestie and her sister left, and left me behind. I wanted to be the last one there. I arranged our cardigans/jackets over the four chairs (her boyfriend was joining us for New Moon), made sure our drink cups were in the appropriate seat cup holders, alternated our special edition popcorn with my friends empty handbag and our free Twilgiht limited edition Girlfriend mags on the seats. AND, I placed in the centre of each seat, a handwritten note that my bestie had scrawled in the dark, on 4 separate pieces of paper:

"Seat taken."

Ha ha. We were prepared. Desperate, crazy, some might say. But we were determined not to let our seats go.

Once there were only 10 ppl left in the cinema (and I did count, there was 10) the cleaners came in, and announced that we needed to leave momentarily while they cleaned. What they also said was that we were to go into a special line on the left of the cinema, for people who were re-entering the theatre, as opposed to the line on the right, which was for people just arriving to watch New Moon. Apparently we were going to be let in first, before the newcomers.

Phew.

As I left, I asked one of the boys if all our items would stay as is, including our drinks and popcorn, etc. He replied with what I wanted to know, and I left, knowing full well I had done the best I could to preserve our seats.

Well, the lines were long alright. The line on the right was growing increasingly fast and exiting the cinemas. I was sooooo glad we had decided to watch Twilight first, otherwise we would have been one of the poor buggers in that line.

Once I reunited with my group, plus the new addition of bestie's boy, (he'd had a Twilight ticket but decided last minute against 4 hours of squealing girls, opting only for 2 hours of squealing girls, so no, we did not sneak him into the cinema, he had a valid Twilight ticket!) we waited in the left line (oh, left never sounded so good) anticipating what was coming up ahead and simply observing the hysteria around us.

It was mad. The word 'Beatlemania' kept popping up in my head, I never experienced that particular music movement so I don't know how to compare, but I kept thinking, if this is how people are reacting to the premiere of a movie, where they are watching their idols/heroes/objects of affection on screen, how would they react to see them in person? Crazy.



Part 2 coming soon....

New Moon.......It's coming......

I sit here at work, anxiously observing the time on the computer. Every few minutes I look at my watch.
I preview the work I should be doing. Nothing interests me today. I'm nervous, excited and impatient.

Tonight, at midnight, I'll be one of the first amongst many, who will watch the first screening of the second installment of the Twilight Saga series: that is, New Moon.

The hysteria begins.