Two Men & A Guitar

So last night we had an Acoustic Cafe at the Chapel and sooooo many people came to it - so wonderful and brilliant. When people left, more people came in. There was just enough cake and drinks for everyone, and so many people performed too. Including myself, with my guitar playing mate Ed. We did "Falling Slowly" from Once, which I've wanted to do for ages, and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which is an absolute classic, and I'll have fisticuffs with anyone who disagrees with me!

But last night was really about us as a Christian Union giving other people the chance to 1) see that we're normal people too and 2) just to chill and relax in this tiring last week before the holidays. I don't think there was anyone who wasn't smiling as they left at nearly 11pm!

And so, once again, we've defied expectations and done God's work magnificently. And that got me thinking. I don't know how many people read this blog, or if you've been slightly turned off by my more religious writings recently. But when you have a spare moment, please, watch this video and I hope you'll understand why I'm just so darn excited!

Rain, Rain, Go Away, You Won't Stop Me Trying To Pray...

So we decide this week, the last before the Easter holidays, to have a Prayer Table/Cafe for the rest of the campus outside our chapel. Then boom - biggest storm for a while hits practically the whole country. Okay, I'm being a bit over-the-top but from the way it was reported by the media it sure felt like the whole of the country.

Anyway, we at Winchester weren't left out. Right as we started to set up the heavens opened, which I suppose is kind of ironic. But did that stop us? Nope. In fact, I would argue that more people stopped inside the chapel to have a hot mug of something, a chat and occasionally a prayer then they would have done had it not been raining and it been glorious sunshine.

To misquote slightly, God works in flipping mysterious ways. We are never going to understand them here on earth. We prayed and prayed and prayed for sunshine, for no rain to fall - didn't happen. Doesn't discourage us, though - far from it. We managed to proclaim his word by offering shelter, warmth, sunshine on a rainy day...okay, that one was a little corny, but you get the idea.

So why the Monday Moan status? Well, muggins here decided to stand outside with his friend's brolly to invite people in, only for a mighty gust of wind to blow it first inside out then snap it off its handle all together. Should have seen that coming, so I guess this is more a moan at myself than anything else. Silly boy.

Laters.

Pinch, Punch, And Is That A Cuckoo I Hear?

In a perfect world, this day - the 1st of March - would be the first day of Spring. But, thanks probably to good ol' global warming, it's probably been Spring over here in Blighty since half way through February.

Anyway, as homage to the first day of Spring - whenever it is - we feel compelled in my house to do some spring cleaning. Well, okay, we don't exactly feel compelled, it's more like we have to. And when I say "we" I mean myself and Other Bloke, as Smoker and Second Year have gone home for the weekend. Cheers, girls.

My realm has been that of the kitchen, lounge and hallway/stairs. I also have to spruce my own bedroom up a bit, as we have the dreaded housing inspections this week. Fun, fun, fun! Speaking of fun, time to wipe down the oven.

Laters.

Satisfying Snack

Just a brief note on something I'm slowly becoming addicted to - hot chocolate and digestive biscuits. Seriously, after a morning's lectures nothing earthy seems to get me back up to Work Mode energy wise then a couple (or four) digestive biscuits and a large mug of steaming hot chocolate. And it's a pretty cheap snack too - that packet of biscuits was 24p, it's a large packet and they're very decent biscuits. The hot chocolate is a little more pricey but still comes in at just over a pound for a large pot of the stuff, which makes it taste even nicer!

Laters.

Oscars 2008 & "Notes On A Scandal"

As has been mentioned by many people, there weren't that many surprises at this year's Oscars for me. It seems that any film Daniel Day-Lewis is in means he's always going to win Best Actor (I know that's not true but that's how it feels). I had a suspicious feeling that Marion Cotillard would win after her triumph at BAFTA earlier this year, and it once again falls into the Oscar rule that anyone who plays a real-life person is more likely to win these days. Tilda Swinton was a bit of a surprise, I must admit - I really felt that Cate Blantchett would win for her role in I'm Not There.

All the awards for No Country For Old Men were worthy but predictable. One big surprise for me was that Ratatouille won Best Animated Feature when it was up against arguably the more academy friendly Persepolis. I was also disappointed with the rules and regulations that meant The Diving Bell And The Butterfly could not be nominated for Best Foreign Film, which I'm sure it would have won easily if it had been.

Have already raved about "Falling Slowly" winning Best Original Song...but I'll rave about it again - yay! In fact, this year's Oscars was a nice, spaced out event where each of the big hitters won at least one Oscar. All I can say is thank goodness Norbit didn't win for Best Make Up, unless it was make up to hide Eddie Murphy's embarrassment.

*****

[Also today I thought I'd treat you all with my review of Notes On A Scandal which I watched a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy!]

Throughout history, the power of the diary has been displayed in numerous ways. Without the surviving memoirs of Anne Frank we would not have such a heartbreaking piece of evidence of, not only entrapment and Nazi Europe, but also the growth and maturity of a young girl into a young woman. Recently Alistair Campbell, the former PR man of Tony Blair, former Prime Minister, caused a slight scandal by publishing his own diaries from the Blair period.

In Notes On A Scandal the power of the diary is paramount to the story and characters. Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) writes daily of her disgust at the society around her, of the school where she works and its students, of her blossoming friendship with new art teacher Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). But as the film progresses Barbara's diary becomes much more than a journal of mere observation. It becomes a detailed dossier of a rather sinister yet simple plot of blackmail, when Barbara catches Sheba in a very compromising position with a student, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), which threatens both her job and her marriage to older husband Richard (Bill Nighy).

This film is more or less a showcase for two powerful performances by two very fine actresses. This is probably the most satisfying character I have seen Dench play since the first time she appeared as 'M', 007's boss in GoldenEye. At first resembling nothing more than a bitter, lonely old crone, Barbara slowly unravels into a cold-hearted, creepy, manipulative woman intent on gaining companionship and more whatever the cost. Blanchett goes from bohemian to lust addict, tired of just being a wife and mother, yet terrified of losing everything she has. Towards the end of the film, however, there is a scene of complete emotional breakdown where, unfortunately, she seems to go into rather unbelievable OTT mode.

The rest of the cast don't really stand a chance when you have two such commanding leads. Nighy, always likable, is good in his role, yet it feels rather one-sided. There doesn't seem to be a reason as to why Sheba wants to have an affair, for Nighy's character seems to be the perfect husband and father figure, and a potential deja vu history that is brought out later on in the film is brushed aside to concentrate more on the relationship between Barbara and Sheba. Andrew Simpson is quite impressive, but again there do not seem to be many reasons why Sheba would want to risk everything for this character.

The power of the diary, and I feel the film's final message, is what also brings Barbara down. The book on which the film is based is perhaps more powerful than this better-than-average adaptation simply because it IS the diary that she is writing in. The endless debate of books vs films rages on, of course, but this film will be a worthy addition to either side's argument.

7/10

Laters.

How Refreshing

Nothing to moan about today, because, as I predicted and gleefully discovered this morning, "Falling Slowly" from Once won the Oscar for Best Original Song. That's just got me on a 24 hour feel-good buzz!

Laters.

Nice Day, Nice Song

Today my folks and little sister came to visit me here in Winchester, and we were really blessed with just dry weather, never mind sunny, so we were able to spend most of the day outside. Save for a little problem with my mum's meat pie not having been cooked properly in the restaurant we ate at, it was a really nice day.

But throughout it my mind was constantly doing that slightly annoying thing of playing a song over and over again. So, now that they're on their way back home, I went onto YouTube and looked for "Falling Slowly" from the film Once.

The reason this hauntingly, beautiful song captured my imagination today is because I learnt this morning that it was up for an Oscar nomination. Having looked at the list of the other songs nominated, three of which are from Enchanted and co-written by the Disney powerhouse that is Alan Menkin, my feelings are that we can only be hopeful. I really feel, though, that there would be something wrong with the hearts of all the Academy voters if they didn't give the golden man to this gorgeous song.

We shall have to wait until Sunday night, I guess, though I suppose it will be the perfect thing to write about in my Monday Moan if it didn't win.

Laters.