Film Review: Burlesque

I saw the movie Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, a few weeks ago. I was mesmerized by the previews which made me desire to see the movie in theaters. Sequins, pearls, fishnet stockings, lace and feathers were the eye grabbing materials for the tantalizing stage costumes for the performers. I was enthralled by the choreographed routines of the sexy, petite dancers with tight bods, and even more by Christina Aguilera's powerful voice.

Christina Aguilera and Cher both did great. I was actually surprised how well Christina did. The film was a perfect fit for her. She is actually not too bad of an actress (actually much better than my fav, Britney Spears, in Cross Roads. Sorry Brit Brit). And somehow she looked just as young as she did when she first started out in her singing career--as in "Genie in a Bottle" young. Her face looked youthful, fresh and flawless, and her naturally thin body looked at its prime.

I wasn't expecting too much from the plot of the film, but it surprisingly wasn't too bad either. It was one of those feel good movies that makes you want to get all dolled up and go out dancing. You can never have too much eye candy.

After watching the film, it made me a little curious about what burlesque is all about. According to wikipedia.org,

"Early theatrical burlesque was a form of musical and theatrical parody in which a serious or romantic opera or piece of classical theatre was adapted in a broad, often risqué style that ridiculed stage conventions.... In 20th century America the word became associated with a variety show in which striptease is the chief attraction."

Burlesque the movie mixes some some of the traditional practices and techniques of burlesque with a fresh, modern twist. What I appreciate about the film is that it isn't raunchy; Despite the fact that the women on stage are hardly wearing any clothes, they are still able to maintain a respectable, unattainable air about themselves. In addition, the movie seems to really embody the essence of burlesque.

Burlesque isn't simply a stripe tease. Traditional burlesque shows, "encompass a variety of acts such as dancing girls, chanson singers, comedians, mime artists, and striptease artistes, all satirical and with a saucy edge." Burlesque the movie stayed true to this by showing a comedic male mime and having a live band present on the stage.

If you're looking to hear a pretty voice and see some hot, sexy dance routines without having to think about anything too serious or deep, Burlesque is surely the right movie to entertain you.

Capturing the Elusive

~*Extraordinary, breathtaking, memorable images that make us desire to continuously look despite how many times our eyes have scanned every millimeter of the picture with hope of cementing every detail in memory.*~

Photography is pretty amazing. It's no wonder the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words." I particularly admire photos that require not only a good camera, but also skill--an eye for the right lighting, positioning, etcetera that the average person with a camera cannot capture.


Today in my Yahoo news updates I came across a compilation of high-speed photographs. The first thing I thought as I looked in awe at the pictures was, "That's so cool!" Photography is a form of art, and the neat thing about these pictures is that it feels like a science experiment too. Being able to see things that the human eye cannot capture itself is spectacular. I love the parallel of the photograph and the image within the photograph--the camera acts like a time slowing machine, being able to capture something that happens in a fraction of a second, and the photograph stops time as well by being a preserver of the image.

Enjoy :)

(Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yahooeditorspicks/galleries/72157625550600212/page2/)

Keeping Warm in Style

Ear warmers that double as fashion accessories are the newest rage this winter. Why not look cute while also protecting your ears from the bitter cold? It makes bundling up to go outside a little more fun. Here are some styles you'll be seeing this winter:

BDG Trapper Hat from Urban Outfitters - $38

Eugenia Kim Bella Knit Headband with Fox Earmuffs - $115

Mossimo Earmuffs from Target

They kind of look like Uggs Earmuffs except they're a fraction of the price. Others must have thought so too, because they are sold out online.

ASOS Premium Oversized Fantasy Fur Pom Pom Knit Headband - $27.58

Recycled Vintage Fur Earmuffs from LARK - $140

I personally chose to buy faux fur earmuffs. There are plenty of cute ones out there without having to pay triple the price for real fur while also killing innocent animals :) I wore mine for the first time today, and I felt like it really complemented my outfit. Earmuffs make the perfect accessory this winter.

Oh how I love winter!

Volunteering for New York Cares

This past weekend I completed my first project with New York Cares, the city's leading volunteer organization. I decided to sign up with New York Cares when I realized that I actually have more free time now after having finished up with school even with a full-time job. As a student my work was never really done. Not only was I a full time student but I also had an internship and was involved in several other extra curricular activities. There was always more reading or studying to be done for one class or another, so it was often difficult me to fully enjoy myself on weekends with the nagging in the back of my mind that I still had work to do in advance of classes on Monday. Now that I don't have work to do on weekends, that frees up my schedule tremendously, and I figured that it was time for me to give back and make good use of some of the new free time I've acquired.

There are numerous different projects you can sign up for with New York cares including: reading to younger kids, teaching older adults basic computer skills, practicing English with immigrants, working at soup kitchens, playing bingo with the elderly at old folk homes, and raking/gardening work. For my first project I decided to go to East Harlem to play sports with over a dozen first and second graders.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the volunteer project, and I was definitely a bit nervous about traveling all the way to E. Harlem by myself and trying to find where the school was located, but my newest thing since moving to NYC is to challenge myself on a consistent basis and force myself to try things that I'm originally uncomfortable or hesitant about. I'm not really used to playing or even being around young kids, but I figured that since sports are something I'm familiar with, that would be the easiest way to be able to relate to the kids.

Overall, I had a pretty good time. The kids were, well,...kids. I forgot how hyper and rambunctious they are! Boy do I wish I had that much energy. They were running around as if they had an IV of Red Bull coursing through their veins. We started off the day by breaking into teams of 4 and having relay races to get warmed up. I was with one other volunteer and two second grade boys. I cheered on our team and encouraged everyone to run as fast as they could so we could win. I tried hard not to laugh when one of the little boys flagged down the male team leader and "whispered" in his ear that he didn't want to be paired with girls for the relay race. His attitude quickly changed though when our team won, and I finally got his approval. I then spent the next two hours playing soccer and football with the boys. They were aggressive little ball-hogs and liked to make up their own rules as we went along, but I just went with the flow of things, and the time passed fairly quickly.

By the end of the two hours I was exhausted and definitely ready for a nap. I'd like to commend anyone who works with young kids because, as cute as they can sometimes be, they sure require a lot patience, and you must always stay alert while keeping track of each individual. I really do believe that it requires a special sort of person to be able to teach and supervise young children. I feel like it's like life guarding on land.

During the last hour I spent with the kids, the other volunteers and I helped them make a healthy snack. I'd occasionally find myself simply observing the kids interact with one another. By the end of the three hours I was becoming familiar with their distinct personalities, and I thought it was cute how quickly seemingly attached they became to some of the volunteers in such a short time. Their innocence and vulnerability was so refreshing. It made me reflect on my own childhood.

While the first thing I did when I returned home from volunteering was to crawl into bed and relax for a few hours, I'm still very happy that I completed my first project with New York Cares. Isn't it funny that I feel like I took just as much away from this experience as I gave? I suppose that's what making a difference is all about in a way. When doing something makes you contemplate life and appreciate the thing you're doing, it becomes a mutual exchange with both parties benefiting.

The American Museum of Natural History

It is quite possible that I had more fun at the American Museum of Natural History looking at all of the ancient animal bones as an adult than I did when I was a little girl. I forgot how cool dinosaurs are until I was face-to-face with a skeleton of a T-rex towering above me.

Unfortunately I didn't get to the museum until 1.5 hours before closing, so I had to rush a bit in order to see the majority of displays on the four floors. It was fascinating just observing the things on display at the museum, but next time around I will definitely plan on staying longer in order to read the descriptive texts about each one. I especially loved the atmosphere in the Milsetein Hall of Ocean Life. It was dimly lit and the walls were dark blue making it feel as if I were in a giant aquarium. In addition,

"The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life is home to the Museum's beloved
94-foot-long model of a blue whale, a powerful evocation of the massive yet graceful nature of the largest animal ever to roam the planet."

Considering my love for animals, especially dolphins and whales (see previous blog post), seeing the giant blue whale in person was pretty incredible. It spans the length of Milstein Hall and looms over the exhibit from above.

I'd definitely recommend checking out the American Museum of Natural History. People of all ages find it truly enjoyable, which is often a rare thing to accomplish. What keeps the museum fresh and full of life are the changing exhibits and museum's calendar full of events. One event that especially caught my attention and is coming up soon is Adventures in the Global Kitchen: The Lure of Chocolate in which a food historian will lead a tasting while discussing chocolate's history. Sounds delicious to me!

In case you'd like more information, The American Museum of Natural History has a good website too with descriptions about the permanent exhibits, limited time exhibits, upcoming events and lots of other information.

The Cove

I recently watched a documentary, The Cove (which also happened to be the Academy Award winner for the Best Documentary of 2010), about dolphin slaughtering and captivity in Japan. The combination of horrific facts about how many dolphins are killed per year and seeing the actual slaughterings was heartbreaking to watch. What is even more disturbing was the fact that the Japanese government was covering up the mislabeling of the whale meat sold in the markets. Since dolphins are higher up on the food chain, they contain higher levels of mercury poisoning, and the general public had no idea that the food they thought was safe was actually highly poisonous, causing many birth defects and damage to the central nervous system and kidneys.

It baffled me that such dire information could be kept from such a large general public as Japan. At the same time, it made me very grateful to those who exposed the health issue and needlessness of dolphin killing. The activists risked going to jail or even worse, death, by trying to uncover all the facts. Those courageous individuals are the type of people that I look at for inspiration. I admire the fact that they are living their lives trying to make the world a better, more organic place, without succumbing to societal pressure to get a "real," higher paying job. It's often the people who make less who make the largest contributions to society.

The documentary made me ponder ways in which I can be a better person. Animal rights isn't the only issue that needs to be addressed. I did sign the petition on The Cove webpage to help save the lives of hundreds of dolphins, and I also browsed at some of the other issues on the Take Part website. As one of my favorite quotes goes, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi

The Cove was very eye-opening for me, and I'm very glad I watched it. It was on my Netflix queue for a few months, and I kept putting off watching it because I never felt in the mood to watch something I knew was going to be so soberingly serious. I guess I was clinging to the "ignorance is bliss" idea. But, I finally sat down and watched the documentary in its entirety, even during the parts when I felt so sad, bitter and angry and wanted to turn it off.

No one can force you to do anything, you have to want to do something on your own, and that is the only way someone can make an impact. I feel that education is most fundamental in evoking people to care and want to make a difference. Although I surely wasn't happy by the time the film ended, I was happy I was informed about the situation. And what I do with that information is in my hands now...

(The picture on the left is a cove in Taijii, Japan where hundreds of dolphins are lured into and trapped by nets to be slaughtered for their meat.)

Thanksgiving Dinner for One

This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family ever in my whole life. Originally I didn't think it was going to be a big deal. In my family, my mom's side of the family gathers for every holiday. We cook. A ton. And drink. Lots of wine. And laugh. Uncontrollably. I can always count on ridiculousness to ensue at any gathering. We're loud (and sometimes downright obnoxious), we know it, and we love it. I figured that this Thanksgiving would be like the rest, and buying a $400 plane ticket home, when Christmas is a bigger deal for us anyway, seemed unpractical since I only left Michigan four months ago anyway. My parents even shipped me boxed mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing and a bottle of wine to make my own little Thanksgiving dinner at home.

I tried to keep myself as busy as possible to keep from thinking about my family coming together hundreds of miles away without me. I woke up early in the morning to check out Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I had a blast. Then when I came home I thought I'd just sleep away the majority of the day. But of course, aftwe waking to an empty apartment, the loneliness quickly set in. I tried to diminish longing to be home by blasting music while I made my dinner for one and I put myself to work cleaning my bedroom, but before long I was confronted with sadness again which had evolved into a knot in the pit of my stomach.

What was also difficult was the numerous "Happy Thanksgiving, we miss you!" texts I kept receiving from family and close friends throughout the day, which served as a perpetual reminder that I was alone. As one who enjoys bouts of solitude, it was not much appreciated on this day, and I was aching for some human interaction. When one of my roommates came home he told me that most people who move to the city end up experiencing a holiday alone and how he considered it like an initiation to New York and becoming a New Yorker.

While I don't consider myself a New Yorker yet and I'm not sure I ever will since my roots are in Michigan, I certainly can say that I've been "initiated" into the New York lifestyle where everyone has experienced loneliness and almost everyone has spent a holiday without their family. To my wonderful family and friends who I thought I could be strong enough to spend a holiday without missing, boy was I wrong. I miss everyone tremendously, and although I was physically in another state, my mind allowed me to spend the day re-living past holidays together. What I finally realized, and maybe spending the day alone is what it took, is that it doesn't matter if family gatherings sometimes seem monotonous and boring in the traditional sense, it's being together under one roof for yet another year that makes it special.

Happy Thanksgiving from NYC. Love you all.