I'll be your Dreamgirl, boy........

Okay so I am a bit late on the hype machine. Actually that’s not true. I was first on the Dreamgirls bandwagon but I have finally seen the goods to back up my claims. Dreamgirls is the best movie ever and Jennifer Hudson is a star.

The best thing about Dreamgirls for sure is the music. Crazy black-girl hysteronics abound and I loved the sista attitude that Effie throws around like yesterday’s news. I loved it when she pretends to get all DIVA on everyone because Martin Luther King Jr. has a record out which is the recording of his famous "I have a dream" speech. Everyone is all scared of her but she is just kidding. It is too funny.

Of course, without a doubt the best part is when Effie gets kicked out of the group and dumped by her man and she sings "I’m not going." I had seen that part before, since my favourite computer techie sent me all the Jennifer Hudson solos to watch on my computer while I waited for Victoria to catch up with the rest of the world and get Dreamgirls in local theatres. And even though I have seen her sing that song like 100 times and I listen to that song on my mp3 player almost everyday, every time I hear it, I get chills. And in a big theatre, within the actual context on the real movie, I got loads of chills. The way her fingers quake when she is trying to hug her boyfriend; the way her legs are weak and she can barely walk as she is belting out this song, this song that represents all her struggles and weaknesses. It is amazing. Period. She is the best ever.

And Eddie Murphy? What? Eddie Murphy in a full 2 hour movie without cracking some kind of fart/diaper joke or donning a fat suit? ( BTW, Am I the only one who finds it kind of perverse that he is so into wearing fat suits in his movies? I’m just saying) He is so good. I mean I loved "My Girl likes to Party All the Time," but I had no idea he had all that soul in him. And maybe it’s just my doe-eyed adoration for all-things Dreamgirls, but he should really look into keeping that pompadour hairstyle going. He looks good. The pompadour is cool. Guys should wear their hair like that again. Strap a do-rag on that mofo and you are gangsta; remove and you are ready for your entrance on a Broadway musical stage.

Last and least, I suppose no exposition on the greatness of Dreamgirls can be complete without some mention of Beyonce. She was not as bad as I had expected. And in a lot of ways, her character demanded her to be mousy and bland. She did a good job of staying in the shadows as required and then coming out and taking centre stage. But even when she was centre stage she was no match for Ms. Hudson. So maybe she is eating sour grapes lately. But it must be hard to take when you are always used to being the one who receives the most accolades. ( nevermind that it’s your mom and dad managers that ochestrate it to be like that all the time). I think Beyonce did a good job. And I liked it how as she was getting more and more famous her skins was looking lighter and lighter. Very subtle.

a month.

I can’t believe it has only been a month. A month. It feels like years. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. One month ago at this time, I was working my last day at Space4lease. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t exactly call it working. To be exact, I think I was trying not to grimace while my former-boss was trying to feed me these random porkballs at this weirdo Dim Sum restaurant in the Burrard Skytrain centre.

A month ago, I was counting bruises on my legs and cuts on my arms from a random string of accidents; that I still am not sure wasn’t covertly masterminded by the Victoria Tourism Board, or even more likely, the small but loyal contingent of my high school posse that still lurks around the still waters of Victoria.

Today, I am counting letters and punctuation marks and the multiple disciplines within the broad subject of Engineering. (BTW, there are way too many disciplines within Engineering; somebody needs to reign those boys in, it’s ridiculous!)

A month ago, I spent my nights traipsing through the cold winter air waiting for buses and skytrains rushing from workouts to dinners with friends to a shambled apartment to watch teen t.v. Today, I spend my nights, driving through sludge in my heated car, strolling leisurely from workouts, to dinners with friends, to midnight drives to discuss last week’s episode of Degrassi the Next Generation and drunken debacles from weekends past. Then I come home and watch t.v. in the nice, clean, warm abode of my mama.

Okay, maybe it isn’t the greatest staying at my parents’ place for the last month. There have definitely been some bumps along the way. But they are leaving for India this weekend and I know I will miss them. Their leaving also means another thing (no not party at my place….try as I might to fight it, I am not 15 anymore). My place needs to be fixed. Asap. Gordon Head is not where it’s at. It is too far! I want to move into my own place and get my stuff out of storage. I miss my bags. I miss my blankets. I miss my purple stretchy belt. I miss my CDs. Sniff, sniff, sniff.

But renoing is not as easy to do as it is to spell. I suffered my first and hopefully only callous this weekend from trying to pry hinges with like 30 layer of paint on them of the kitchen cabinetry. Anyone who ever said I was weak had better step off now. I am strong. Yesterday I even carried a sink. Yeah, a sink; in fact, it was a double sink. Ohhhhh yeah!!! (Picture me talking like Macho Man Randy Savage and raising my arms, excuse me, my guns, like the champ, here).

So yeah that’s my life. Exciting and new. I still miss Vancouver. Sometimes, I will catch myself calling Vancouver home to someone by mistake, out of habit, I guess. But things are getting exciting here. Everything’s working out great so far. At times, I feel overwhelmed. There are so many new people to meet, new things to do and I still want to come and share everything with all my peeps in Vancity and all my old peeps in Victoria. And I will. I promise. I love you long-time.

The. Best. News. Ever.

Mark my words, my girl is back.
2007 is the year of Ms. B.S. ( does that sound weird??)

Promise of a New Day

"And so time over time
What will change the world
No one knows
So the only promise
Is a day to live, to give
And share with one another"

-Paula Abdul Promise of a New Day

For some reason, this New Years feels a bit different. Now, granted listening to the black sheep of my CD collection that has been left to fester in my parents' basement since 1998 could have something to with my curious mood and my tendancy to quote obscure Paula Abdul lyrics ( is there really any other kind?); but really I think it is more than that.

For the first time in a long time, I find myself looking forward to the upcoming year. I'm not looking back thinking of everything that was not accomplished in 2006. I'm not feeling particluarly old, pathetic, and unmotivated ( which is kind of weird considering I am jobless and living in my parents' basement).

I don't really want to jinx myself or anything but I have a feeling 2007 will be pretty great!
I will be going to Glastonbury; some of my closest friends are getting married; I will be living in my very own grown-up place, and I'm sure lots of other cool things will happen as well!

So here's to a year full of promise and excitement and changes that for once, I am NOT dreading!

Welcome to 2007!!!!!