2010 Favorites

Eats

• Yoghurt at Dapuqiao, Shanghai
• Bejing Palace Cheese
• Okinawa Brown Sugar Milk Tea

Movies

• Inception
• Shutter Island
• Alice In Wonderland
• Toy Story 3
• Ghost Writer
• Social Network
• Buried
• Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows
• Tangled
• Eat, Pray, Love

Music

• Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
• If I Die Young - The Band Perry
• Hidden Away - Josh Groban
• Waka Waka - Shakira (World Cup 2010)
• In My Veins - Andrew Belle
• Just A Dream - Sam Tsui
• Empire State of Mind - Glee Cast

Sites

• Matador Network
• The Road Forks
• Ridiculously Extraordinary
• Emm Media
• Vegan Backpacker
• Shutter Sisters
• A Cartoon Guide To Becoming A Doctor
• Little Purple Cow iPhoneography
• Travel With A Mate
• We Heart It   

Memories

• Experiencing First Ever Snow Fall
• Hiking Great Wall of China
• Dancing at a School Event for a Chinese Song
• Having a CT scan
• World Cups & Exams Simultaneously
• Friend's Visit to Shanghai
• Visits back home (A Couple at that!)
• Battle with The Witch
• 6 hour stint at Karaoke!
• Owning Bette and Maria. 

Have a Great 2011!

Note: Images on this post do not belong to this site.

Cairo Time was the Best Time Ever

I haven't watched a romantic film in a long while.

And Cairo Time is has become my favorite. Of course there is Casablanca and Once. I'm a sucker for love stories that has bitter-sweet endings.

"What are you thinking about?"
"I was thinking what I'd do on my first day living in Cairo."
"And?"
"I'd open a coffee shop for women only."
"That's brilliant."

As I was browsing the dvd collections, I saw Cairo Time sitting there perfectly tucked away and unlike the multiple copies of popular movies, there was only one for this movie. The synopsis didn't say much except for an American lady played by Patricia Clarkson, visiting her husband in Cairo and the friendship she builds with this Egyptian played by Alexander Siddig. He is ohh soo good looking. 

"Why are they looking at me?"
"This place is for men only."
"Why don't they say anything?"
"That would be rude."

It was a decent love story with amazing landscapes of Cairo. One of the few make-you-wanna-go-aww kinda love story. I loved it. It was my kinda or at least my idea of a romance flick. Simple. No over the top outpouring of emotions. Exotic yet real locations. Short dialogues. Just simple.

Have I mentioned I am in love with Cairo? And perhaps the Siddig dude too? 

A Changing Horizon

So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. - Christopher Mccandless

Fate-Less

The Great Wall of China and Me

Morpheus: Do you believe in fate Neo?

Neo: no.

Morpheus: Why not?

Neo: Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life.

- The Matrix -

I honestly don't like the idea. On one hand, it may appear that less effort is required now that, fate/destiny whichever fancy name you wanna give it, has everything arranged and all one has to do is sit through and enjoy the ride.

On the other hand, it makes one wonder and perhaps feel helpless that his/her decisions that were made considering whatever he had to consider at that moment is in vain. That in actual fact, nothing was required after all. We have been given a brain and also told not to think since everything is laid out for us and we just have to move. 

Is that the way it is? Or is there something I have yet to notice?

Casablanca (1942)

Well known to many for being the famous, must-see romance film of all time. 

There I was all set to emo over the film. I was hoping for melodrama, slow paced scenes and the death of either the male or female lead. I ain't no sadist, but come on unless it has a tragic ending, it sometimes doesn't feel romantic enough. Refrain from asking why. 

"What in heavens name brought you to Casablanca?"

"My health. I came tp Casablanca for the waters".

"The waters? What waters? We're in the desert."

"I was misinformed."

What I saw floored me. Now, I am a fan of both the film and Humphrey Bogart. The lines were witty, crisp, even the comedy; though moderate was greatly enjoyable. Bogart was calm and sometimes appeared way nochalent for the circumstance. But guess what, he stood out for that nonchalence alone. He was amazing. So was Ingrid and the guy who played her husband, Paul Henreid. S.K. Sakall (Carl), Leonid Kinskey(Sascha), and Dooley Wilson (Sam) who played supporting roles adequately provided for the required humor. Loved them all.

"Sweetnessheart-What watch"

"Ten Watch"

"Such Much"

"You will get along beautiful in America. hmm."

I was anticipating a sad ending with Humphrey Bogart hailed as the martyr for his deeds and Ingrid Bergman leaving him with massive regrets. What actually happened was sweet, perhaps a little sad. But not overwhelming enough to grab a box of tissues. 

"I know a good deal more about you than you suspect. I know, for instance, that you are in love with a woman. It is perhaps a strange circumstance that we are in love with the same woman. The first evening I came to this cafe, I knew there was something between you and Ilsa. Since no one is to blame; I demand no explanation. I ask only one thing. You won't give me the letters of transit, all right. But I want my wife to be safe. I ask you as a favor, to use the letters and take her away from Casablanca".

"You love her that much?"

"Apparently you only think of me as a leader of a cause. Well, I'm also a human being. Yes, I love her that much."

But I still have to agree it was one amazing movie and if you haven't seen it yet, You should! It heads my 'Favorite Movies' List now and that itself should imply how much I enjoyed watching the film. The next of the classic black and white movies I hope to catch in the coming weeks are Citizen Kane and Waterloo Bridge. :-D

You must remember this

A kiss is still a kiss

A sigh is still just a sigh

The fundamental things apply

As time goes by

And when two lovers woo

The still say "I love You"

On that you can rely

No matter what the future brings

As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs

Never out of date

Hearts full of passion

Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man

And man must have his mate

That one no one can deny

Its still the same old story

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die

The world will always welcome lovers

As time goes by

- As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson - Casablanca (1942)

In a Daze...

The week went by in a blur. I have hardly been home this week. Okay, except for this bit where I am trying to blog about the week. Despite being a blur, it was a great week. 

It started of with an examination. Nothing good about that. Well maybe one bit, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Nevertheless, it was still bad. Moving on, Sam and myself put ourselves through Shutter Island. We were suppose to relax after the ming boggling exam. And it was a clear wrong choice. We went ahead with it and went to bed feeling all confused as to what we might have just witnessed. I still loved it! Confusion is not my forte, neither is Clarity. But Martin Scorsese is definitely a favorite. On that note, I recommend all to watch this movie. The background score might mislead you, but it is no way a horror film. It is all about what you perceive and if what you percieve is what it really is. No worries, clarity is out the window when you are done watching the film.

The next day I decided to relax further with a book. I picked up Haruki Murakami's South of the Border, West of the Sun. If Shutter Island didn't mess with my mind enough, this guy made it worse. I am now a fan of Haruki Murakami. :-D This book was not his best as I have heard. It was one of his shorter novels compared to his other famous ones. His genre, similar to his other writings deals with lonliness, empathy, feeling of emptiness, and his take on the related issues. His works are usually fictional but they carry the vibes of a scene taking place right next door. It is that casual, belivable even. I was done with the book in 4 hours straight. I didn't have much to do, and the lonely guy in the novel with his thoughts on this other mysterious lady was just too captivating to put the book down. I was a little disappointed with the ending and the mystery behind the leading female character having ended without a completion. It was a massive void that really bothers me. Bothered, to be accurate.

The following day, the Professors somehow picked up our chill mode and dumped a ton load of assignments on us. Unfair! I know! Professors are the arch nemesis of Students. In some cases, Parents.

That was no way gonna deter us from doing what we intended to! I went shopping and bought me self a couple of dresses. I haven't shopped in a year. Realisation hit me real late. I ain't much of a shopper anyways.  So, it is normal in my case have a long hiatus between shopping sprees.

The day after the shopping, the dresses were put to some good use. I had the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Performance to attend. We had some of the closest seats to the Orchestra. The concert included a cello solo, a Beethovan number and a really long German composition. I am assuming it was German for the Japanese singers who were performing that day sang German Opera. I didn't understand a single thing. Which made it worse for me to appreciate the song. Then again, the female Opera singer had a strong voice and my favorite for that day was the cello solo. It sat in well. :)

Walked to the newly revamped Bund, also known as the French Concession here in Shanghai. It was awesome! The skyscrapers were all lit up, the walkways were made to look like dams beneath them. The water from the Huang Pu River was sucked back in by some mechanism to pump it back into the River from the sides of the walkway. Sort of like a mini waterfall. It was really pretty. They added a couple of cafes around the river. It would be the ideal romantic getway. We friends, sat at one of the concrete structures near the river over looking the city skyline and chatted for a bit before heading off to take the ferry to the other side. On the other side, we repeated the same thing. Lol.. We sat chatted, laughed at the passer bys, battled the crowds and the locals who stalk us into buying their stuff. It was an awesome night. 

The crowds of Shanghai had increased significantly with the arrival of tourits for the recent World Expo - Shanghai. If the usual population is 20 million I fear to think of an appropriate figure right now. :s 

With that, I get back to "exhilarating" prepartion for the next set of examinations that awaits me.

I'm just trying to keep my

feet on the ground.

Trying to stop the sky

from falling down.

I can't speak cos 

I might say 

what I know I can't 

betray.

So tell me, 

tell me the way 

from here.

Tell me 

Please tell me

Don't say 

What I wanna hear.

- Tell Me - I Can't Think Straight - Leonie Casanova -

Misery in Twilight

The movie that started it all and brought crazy fans towards Edward Cullen or whatever-his-first-name-was Pattinson. Do not ask my why I chose to sit and suffer through this movie. I have yet to figure that bit out. I definitely was not in my right mind. Coming straight to the point, the movie was such a...I don't know. I am not going to catch the rest of the series. That should explain it.

It was miserably slow. Bella turned out to be dumber than I thought she ought to be. She annoyed me with her rhetorical questions and her confused looks. The first time Edward saved her from a car crash, I was secretly hoping the car would just crash into her and the movie would have ended there and then. Yes, I could have always turned it off. But you see part of me wanted to know how the story ended and why the Cullens were supposedly "vegetarians". I never read the book, never read the synopsis, never read anything even remotely close to the movie.

The actress who played Bella, what is her name? Oh well, she certainly isn't one of my favourites. And Tayler Lautner? Seriously, is he really crazy cute? Or the definition of the term has changed since the movie was released? Edward looked older than a high school kid which made sense, since he had been 17 years old for a long long while. But his lines? They have aged with time as well!

"Bella, you are my life!" I cringed.

Abstract Expressionism

Mona Lisa Smile. One of my favourite movies. I watched it again for what..the millionth time again last night. Every time I watch it, it makes me feel good. Julia Roberts, her beliefs in the movie. Her character that breaks the norms, its just awesome. Actually, awesome is an understatement. I love her. I love the movie. They're both amazing. Maggie Gylanhaal, one of the best character portrayals I have seen her in thus far. 

Jackson Pollack whilst creating his Composition 31 

                           (http://www.beyeler.com)

The movie was set in the early 50s. How credible the movie was in conveying the real Wellesley girls is beyond me. However, I do believe the general mentality of women of that era, to some extent, was accurately portrayed. Why travel back in time to the 50s? I am surrounded by girls who still withhold the mentality. And I have failed to understand why. 

            Composition 31, Jackson Pollack

      (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/564478895/)

What Pollock did for the widely accepted masterpiece of his, was simply to lay a canvas on the ground and start pouring oil paint over it. He repeated the action for a long time. Using other materials including traditional paint brushes, some other improvised 'brushes' and the existing Gravity, to create the image. His art forms were classified under Abstract Expressionism. How aptly named!

Not all Who Wander are Aimless

Especially not Those who seek Truth
Beyond Tradition, Beyond Image
Beyond Definition.

- Mona Lisa Smile -

Avatar - A whole new Paradigm

Finally caught Avatar!!! You wouldn't believe how late I managed to catch the show. It was the last day and last show at the cinema near my place.

I have one word for the movie: AWESOME!

I wanna live in Pandora! Then again, I don't really appreciate the freaky thingy that sorta allows the indigenous people to "bond" with their environment and their Ikrans.

The whole idea of the Na'vi Language is interesting. Upon further reading, I figured the Avatar team  came up with the Language. It has its vowels, phonetics and grammar. I see James Cameron following the footsteps of Tolkien.

Eywa reminds me of Jelly fish. :-s

Blackjack - It's beatable

Bringing down the House by Ben Mezrich was loosely based on the real life story of Jeff Ma, an MIT graduate who used his exceptional skills in math and superb memory to counting cards at Vegas. From a committed geek to both studies and a girlfriend he soon began introducing himself under multiple aliases, travelling in limousines, dining at posh restaurants and soon enough earning thousands of dollars in just a single weekend.

How did the change of events occur? Kevin Lewis, the main character in the book was recruited into the MIT blackjack club which flew to Vegas during the weekends to count cards. What started as a hobby soon got his utmost attention. The best bit about this whole book is the explanation of card counting, the description of Vegas and the varying personalities that visit the gambling paradise. Descriptions were kept simple and were definitely vivid.

I was impressed by the system the MIT team used to count cards and not get caught. They had a team 5 to 10 people who took turns in playing the roles of Spotters, Gorillas and Big Players. The Spotters were the ones who bet minimums at blackjack tables and later signal the Big Players to come over and join in. These Big Players are informed of the current count and they continue from then on betting with larger amounts. All these transfer of information from one to another was done discreetly. The Gorillas however, are to act like spoilt rich kids roaming in the casinos blowing up their parents’ cash. They do not perform any counting but rather just bet according to what the spotters signal them to. The role of the Gorillas is usually for the newcomer.

The methods used were simple, it involved simple math, the signals they used to get each other’s attention many not have been entirely under the covers but come on, they fooled the casino’s security system from 1995 till 1998! And that is pure awesomeness if you ask me!

I initially watched the movie 21 which was an adaptation of this book. However, the movie did not closely follow the book but still managed to recreate the ambience and Jeff Ma’s characters to a great deal. One can choose to either read the book first or watch the movie first. My recommendation would be to read the book first, since they explain the way Blackjack is played and how the MIT team played it scoring thousands at a single hand. That would help one when seeing Jim Sturgess in 21 performing mental counts while playing Blackjack and the training he goes through before he hits Vegas.

Card Counting as described by the movie and the book proves interesting and risky. There are still a number of card counters who are lurking around casinos. They are winning legally so casinos cannot charge them, however, can still ban them from visiting the casinos again. Casinos gotta get used to being good losers I suppose :p.

I have been heavily influenced by the whole card counting idea, I’ve actually resorted to purchasing a deck of poker cards for thy self and trying to master the basics. :D

Macau…Here I come.

Lying in Pain

I watched the movie "Before the Rains". It was set in 1936, Kerala, Southern India. There was this particular scene where the accomplice of the lead character was put through a somewhat "lie-detector". This is how the "lie-detector" works: A large sort of ladle is heated and the suspect will have to lick the ladle thrice. If no scars are left on his tongue, he is acquitted. Anything hot on your tongue will leave a scar or at least a temporary mark. I don't see how valid this system is. I hope the system has ceased to exist in the present rural areas. Or any other methods that might require one to inflict pain on the self just to prove innocence.

Alexander SuperTramp

I am all for impromptu acts. Going on an unplanned road trip. Taking a deliberate wrong turn just for the fun of it. Sometimes, it is just not worth it. But, I would still go for it. Risking the self is the fun part. Like going on cheap thrill rides in theme parks, the adrenaline rush is awesome!

I went for white water rafting in the rapids here in China, and fell of the tubing I was on. Besides being pushed forward by the rapids which was not that fun when you get hurt by the rocks. The downside to this is I cannot swim. Yes, I was wearing a lifejacket which was pretty much useless. LOL...But I was lucky, the lifeguard was nearby so I was brought back to safety. :D He gave me the what-the-hell-were-you-doing? look. That was cos I did not read the safety measures which said I ought to let go of the tube handle if I were to fall off it. And of course me being me, I flashed my innocent smile and requested to go to the next stop-over( to continue the ride of course :D)with the lifeguard, which involved climbing up the hill from the river, crossing a bridge, a truck ride and finally to the stop over. I got into the tubing and continued my ride till the end. One should really try white water rafting cos its REAL COOL!!! The waves are mind blowing and when the rocks at the side push the tubing forward; one is in for a bumpy ride. The BESTEST of the entire rapids is the fall of the tubing from various heights. There were three of the 7m, 13m and another I forgot. Its mini sky diving off a tube. Pure Awesomeness!

Oops, I got carried away :s Anyways,

I just caught the 2007 film 'Into the Wild'. Directed by Sean Penn starring Emile Hirsch. Alexander SuperTramp (the character) walked out on everything just to explore the world. Who does that? He was a 23 year old who could have got himself a place in Harvard Law School but instead chose to go on a trip away from the world he was brought up in.

According to him, "Job is a 20th century invention. I am not a destitute. I have a college education and I chose the present way of life I lead".

The movie was so good till the part he had to die cos he ate an inedible wild plant by mistake. The movie was based on the real life character, Christopher Mccandless aka Alexander SuperTramp. He was 22 when he left home after donating his savings to a charity home, destroying all his identification and only taking with him a couple of books and some basic necessities. Throughout his journey he took up odd jobs, stayed with hippies, puts up a shelter at a desert, kayaks in the rapids eventually making his way to Mexico from the United states, illegally of course. He was so in love with nature and his ultimate aim was the mighty Alaskan Adventure. He took the odd jobs at Mcdonalds, at a grain factory all in the hope to save up to get to Alaska. He was industrious, always driven and put himself up for the severe of challenges.

Christopher Mccandless was "an aesthetic voyager whose home is on the roads". The line was lifted from the movie which I believe got it from Christopher's diary that was recovered when Moose hunters discovered his body in the Alaskan Wilderness. Christopher died in the Alaskan Wilderness in August 1992 at the age of 24.

It's inspiring. It reflects his stupidity at some point for refusing to take a compass or equipment that might aide him in Alaska. He did not even have a map with him. He walked out on his parents as well. He was wise. He was dumb. He was over confident. He was grounded.

Overlooking all of the mistakes he made, I still think Christopher is great. He was on the roads for 2 years! I have yet to get over the story of Alexander SuperTramp. Its just tooo good.

Piracy!

I don't how many of you out there despise it and later return home to watch a pirated DVD on your home theatre. I don't promote piracy but I do purchase them occasionally. Yes, contradicting. If the film producers out there wanna sue me for buying them its as good as suing people who purchase fake LV products. Well, maybe not entirely similar but its the same copyright infringement. Lotsa effort goes into the making of any original product. We are almost halfway into the E-book, Online news era. If they really wanna eliminate piracy they ought to target the people who market it. The people who produce it. No point blaming the purchasers. As long as its there before our eyes we would go for it. Sadly, that's the case. If hey were to really look into the case, the ratio between the population that buys and the population that sells these DVDS is 1:100. (They are not validated statistics; they are a probable assumption if I may say) . And these days pirated DVs are so professionally made, the quality is awesome. There are no skips, proper subtitles, audio and visuals are great, they even include special features. China's piracy market took it up a notch into creating Blu Ray pirated DVs as well.

Summer holidays

Its the summer holidays here. Since, I have decided to spend the summer here (without heading back home) I have loads of time on my hands. Feels like 48 hours per day but no I am not regretting it; I am enjoying it.

Yesterday, went to Shanghai city centre to catch the late night show of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was not exceptionally great neither was it a terrible one It was not bad .It was definitely WAAYYY better than Angels and Demons. Though yes, the director of Harry Potter did leave out chunks of information from the J.K. Rowling's book, he added a few newer details that compromises for the missing bits. I won't say it was the best of the Harry Potter series thus far but it is worth a catch. There were some really cool chase sequences and Ron ( my favourite) as always lives up to his character.
3 stars outta 5 on Usha's movie scale ;)

Another recommendation is the movie titled Once starring Glen Hansard (vocalist of the Irish band Frames) and Markets Irglova (some Czech Singer). It is story of two musicians, their love for music, the lack of opportunities and unrequited love. It was REALLY GOOD!! Siras would like the movie but she would probably tear ;) It was not a typical tear jerker but a low budget independent film that conveys the message intended in a simple way. Anyone will understand the story. One information I read was during the shooting of the movie on the Dublin streets the director used long lens, natural lighting to keep the scene real. In fact, many of the passer-bys were not aware that a shooting was taking place. Pretty cool huh.

Away from movies, onto a little news that I read: Delhi Highcourt legalises Homesexuality. Never did I thought India would be one of the countries to legalise it given its conservative nature. Nevertheless, that was a great decision made by the Delhi High Court. Homosexuals can now live their life and not feel like outcasts. They are not involved in anything illegal; officially now! Democracy in its true sense. :)

Angels and Demons

Disappointing!

A request to directors out there who attempt to remake great books into movies: Please if the script is not even half as good as the book don't make the film.

Its depressing to watch bad films based on great works of fiction. :(

Quoting Moviez...

Its past midnight here and I just finished my lab report. Was not feeling sleepy so eventually started facebook-ing and saw this note by a friend with list of quotes from her favourite movies and the rest had to guess the title of the movie. It seemed pretty fun and that inspired this post. I decided to list some of my favourite movies and their respective quotes. IF any of you guys wanna leave your answers for the titles, go ahead....:D Or instead thinking "this girl must be really bored/ had nothing else to spend her time on/ blah blah/then to actually compile a list"; perhaps you're right, BUT I really think this is fun ;)

And the List Begins....

1. "Everywhere I travel, tiny life. Single-serving sugar, single-serving cream, single pat of butter. The microwave Cordon Bleu hobby kit. Shampoo-conditioner combos, sample-packaged mouthwash, tiny bars of soap. The people I meet on each flight? They're single-serving friends."

2. "You know when I said I knew little about love? That wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it. I've seen centuries and centuries of it, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain and lies. Hate... It made me want to turn away and never look down again. But to see the way that mankind loves... You could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So yes, I know that love is unconditional. But I also know it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable and strangely easy to mistake for loathing, and... What I'm trying to say, Tristan, is... I think I love you. My heart... It feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it doesn't belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange. No gifts. No goods. No demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine."

3. "We all end up in diapers"

4. "You're black. You're not even a nigger. You're an African"

5. "So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. Derek says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you'd like. 'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. "

6. "How do you know that nothing bad won't happen?"
"I don't"

7. "If you're afraid of dying it shows you have a life worth living."

8. "What rules of conduct apply in this rural situation? We have been introduced, have we not? "
"What value is there in an introduction when you cannot even remember my name? Indeed,
can barely stay awake in my presence."

9. " What do we do now? Pray? What?"
"It's 9:00. Pleasant dreams."
"W-Wait. Are you tellin' me we go to bed by 9:00?"
"I were you, I would use this time to think about my life and its direction. Or lack thereof."
"There's nothing wrong with my life. You know, before I came here, I had a career, I had
friends, I had clothing that fit. Before I came here, I was okay."
"Oh, really? From what I've heard, your singing career was almost non-existent, and your married lover wants you dead. If you're fooling anyone, it is only yourself."
"God has brought you here. Take the hint."

10. "Now, they tell me I paid my debt to society."
" Funny, I never got a check."

11. "What do you call assassins who accuse assassins?"

12. "Sorry, I have a syndrome. I don't really have a filter. I don't pick up on social cues."
"You mean you're rude?"
" Yeah, but now it's a disease I can take medication for."
"They have pills for rudeness?"
"I know...and they can't figure out the Middle East. Go figure."

13. "This dock is off-limits to civilians."
"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately."

14. "I'm telling you Jorge, the first thing you have to do when you get to America - buy a device called TiVo. Okay? Freedom means nothing if you're a slave to regular programming. I promise you that. "

And now I am sleepy......ZZZZZ.......