Don't believe the hype: Quantum of Solace and The Bank Job

Quantum of Solace - the latest Bond installment with Daniel Craig - was GREAT! Don't know why it got such bad reviews. Amazing action, stunning locations and the (often) cheeky dialogue kept me totally entertained for 2 hours. If anything, the villain (Mathieu Amalric of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) left a little to be desired but Bond and M were superb. Loved Ukrainian hottie Olga - could do without (Strawberry) Fields (too much of a throwback to the old helpless Bond girls with her cowboy boots and wrinkled trenchcoat - puhleeze).

Enjoyed Bond on the big screen at our favourite local theatre Beach Cinemas then came home and watched The Bank Job on DVD. I had bought it as a Christmas present but we couldn't wait. Based on a true story - a bank heist in Britain in the early 70's - it was intriguing and worth seeing but did not live up to the HYPE I had been hearing from EVERYONE. Jason Statham is always wonderful and did not disappoint.

The Bank Job is good
old school British heist movie
with Royal scandal

Quantum of Solace
is GREAT - sexy Daniel Craig
and TONS of action!

Thank you Oprah! My moai is dope!

Happened to be timeshifting yesterday and caught Oprah's show filled with thrifty tips for the holidays. Great recipes for turkey, cornbread stuffing, and fun inexpensive gift ideas. She also made some music available for free on her website oprah.com. Follow the instructions to download 8 songs and make your own mixed CD. But only for 48 hours from Wednesday at 5pm (so do it tonight).

Also found a link to Secrets of the Blue Zones, areas of the world where people regularly live to be 100, with great quality of life. Everyone interested in vital longevity should check it out! Every time I haul bags of groceries home without a car I'll be thinking of those women hauling buckets of water. Or Uma hauling water uphill as part of her training in Kill Bill vol. 2.

Speaking of Uma and Japan, here are two words you need to know from longliving Okinawans: ikigai - "that which makes one's life worth living" and moai - which means you have a social support network.

My moai is dope!
Living long is the new black.
What's your ikigai?

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!

Where in the world is haikugirl?

You may have noticed a dearth of posts on haikugirl's blog lately. That's because I've been busy making a movie! The saga is all on my OTHER blog: haikugirlmovies.blogspot.com

On Sunday, November 2 the films from the 48 Hour Film Project Toronto are screening at the Bloor Cinema at 4pm. Come out and join the fun, "see something new - raw and alive." - I'm not making that up - they actually say it in the FAQ - but don't just believe what you read - come and experience it!

I want to thank everyone on Team haikugirl for their generous collaboration this weekend, and even after the weekend! We really had a blast - some people are even talking about doing it again next year - definitely a good sign...