Game of Thrones HBO Series

I have finished watching the whole 10 episodes of Game of Thrones! All thanks to the debilitating (yes, over-exaggerating but just want to whine!) throat infection and flu-ey symptoms that kept me in bed for the past 2-3 days.

I don't think it would ever come to a screen near us though..with all the show of boobs and sex and gore (You literally see a man piercing another's throat, with all the blood splattering and the final flow of blood bubbling till there is no more..urgh), I'm kinda of wondering what other stuff they show on the telly in the USA.

Though I know GRR Martin said that the show stayed true to the plot, I wonder if they should really extend the show to maybe full 20 episode. I would love to see how Lady Catelyn climb the treacherous Eyrie for example. But I'm already fascinated somewhat by how realistic the settings were portrayed (ok almost all except Dothraki which is on the eastern realm. Westerners will never get the Orients portrayed correctly). And even with 10 episodes, the portrayal of the characters were so compelling, that even though I knew what Ned Stark was going into since I finished the book, I still felt aghast when I saw that episode (not going to spoil it for you!). Also, not often that you see a dwarf taking center stage as one of the main characters - Tyrion Lannister as "The Imp" - smart, and politically incorrect. Though I think Peter Dinklage is too good looking for the real Imp, who is supposedly really grotesque.

Good, now halfway though the second book - A Clash of Kings. With this and another 3 more books to catch with the the latest in the series, I am seriously avoiding wikipedia entries on the series cos they really contain a lot of spoilers!

Ellie Goulding - Your Song

I bought the CD on a whim at Heathrow because of this song..and it seems that it would only be for this song anyway.



Argh I hate to be sick, but at least I finished 5 episode of Game of Thrones.

Another kind of bug

Whatever bug it was, it was really nasty.

It started with the the usual pain in the throat, then felt it travel up to the nasal passage, and eventually settled itself at the forehead, which made every thought feels like clawing through a thick smultz of a loud rock band jamming session.

I finally gave up this morning, and decided to be kinder to myself rather than trying to go through and put up the proposition plan for a meeting next week. Made a dash home, visit the GP, grabbed a quick lunch, downed the meds, and then plonked myself onto the bed. And realise that the body which is so attuned to being most productive in the PM is now wide-awake, despite the head throbbing. Oh well, it's still good to be at home, blasting Adele's 21, and letting some afternoon breeze ease some of the urgh-ness.



Which leads to me to another kind of bug.

"How are things with u?" the sms says.

Off hand, I had many retorts. but I decided that none of them would have conveyed what I wanted to say anyway. 6 years on (or was it more?), and with that kind of callousness at that time, and with whatever he already has now, why does he even bother.

Amy Winehouse - Rehab

Oh Amy.,.you should have...

气

I really had enough.

Despite various requests to tone down their discussions on the upcoming Sex and Zen movie and constant play on words with sexual insinuations, the 2 male colleagues kept up their acts with oblivious zeal and jibes.

I originally had no issue when they went around rallying other colleagues to join them for the movie. Even the new one who had yet to come into office. However, when the sexual jokes became one too many, and when the two thought everybody shared their "fun, joy" and anticipation in the upcoming movie, it started to get on my nerve as I always feels that pang of unease, and then calibrating if I should voice my discomfort.

Then it grew to a point that I decided to tell them straight that these topics are distasteful, makes me uncomfortable, and simply not funny, hoping that they heed and bring the jokes down a few notches, to be even challenged by one of the guys: sex is real what, why you pretend it didn't happen.

It is not the way we think, we don't objectify men as sex objects, and to us, sexual jokes, made too often, weren't really funny any more, I replied. To which he insisted then all men are like that, and there is nothing wrong with them talking about all these thing in front of US female colleagues.

Ya right. Now it became our fault for feeling uncomfortable.

Today when I repeated to the other guy again to tone it down, his retort was: then bring your own ear plugs.

Bloody hell. I had never met anybody so inconsiderate and simply downright rude.

So I decided. Sent a long sms to the guy colleague and told him that this whole sexual jokes and movie thing is making me uncomfortable. And that I seriously don't see why I have to accommodate to something which is obviously making me, and other female colleagues uncomfortable. Please stop.

The guy simply replied, ok. We didn't realise you were seriously disturbed. We will not discuss these thing in front of you all, though it will be less fun.

Hello. I am not seriously disturbed. I am just extremely frustrated by the refusal to heed request after request, while getting ridiculed at the same time. Not even an apology. And less fun??? My god. He didn't even get the point.

Not that it didn't help that other female colleagues didn't raise any issue, making it seemed like I'm the only one making the noise and these 2 guys probably thought I am the spoil sport. And again, I'm tired to be the one to break the line.

But seriously, I don't see why I have to suffer in silence and continue to be uncomfortable. Much as they insist their rights to fantasize and make everything into a sexual joke, I should also have the right not to feel belittled, uncomfortable or insulted in the face of such overtures.

I have never been so mad at such utterly inconsiderate persons.

Read. Sleep.

1. Read

I'm hooked.

It had been so long since I found a series that interesting a read since Lord of the Rings (ok, I don't think anybody needs any external to that) and David Eddings' Belgarad and Malloreon series.

And to think that I have another 3 books in the series to look forward to, the last having just released o 12 July 2011.

Yay!

2. Sleep

Ya. Totally.

Cranberries - Linger

"Cranberries coming to town for concert soon leh!", my colleague told me one day. "Wanna go?"

I did a quick mental calculation (wrong move, cos it only made me feel so old in that few nano second).

• Cranberries was like distant memories more than 15+ years back, when I was still donning the yellow and blue uniform in secondary school. I realised one remembers songs distinctly, especially if heard when still schooling..I'm sure the brain cell retention prowess then was definitely in the higher percentile if not near to 100%, compared to now, when it hovers around 20-30%, ala gold fish memories)
• they didn't have any major hits or new work for the past 10 years at least
• And this colleague would be like..in primary school when Cranberries first came to the scene (told you that the quick mental calculation made me feel old)??

Well, given the usual lower than expected value-for-money concert line-up for these western gigs (we are so pampered by the elaborate stage and sets, not to mention repeatable encores, from those Asian artistes!), told the colleague that I wasn't a big fan.

Until I heard this over radio.

For those whose memories come flooding back when they hear this song as well. They just do songs like these anymore.

(Maybe I will rethink about the concert).

Joe Hishaishi - My Neighbour Totoro..

I suddenly had this tune in my head..

I suddenly had an urge to watch the studio ghibli DVDs again..something soothing about whimsical magical realms and innocence and simplicity of youth.

To A.

Too impatient, too rash.

I didn't even have time to take down the details, before it was lost forever.

Alas...not fated.

邓妙华 － 温柔的夜

每每都会突发奇想似的，想起以前的一些连续剧歌曲。

以前，一听到主题曲的时候，就会连忙写完功课的最后一行，然后赶紧往电视机前面坐，目不转睛到听到插曲为止，才被妈妈赶去睡觉。

发现我对近时播的连续剧都没什么概念，对它们的主题曲当然也不熟悉。 感觉上，以前的连续剧比较真实，细腻。记得有一次，我好奇为什么小娘惹那么热，看了一集，觉的编辑和所谓的一线演员好象把观众当做是白痴..然后就没再看其他的连续剧了，就连最近被朋友们炮轰的CLIF，也懒的去满足好奇心。

当然，现在每天九点我人也不知道在那里.....但就算到了家，家人放的频道多数是电缆频道 - 香港，台湾，美国 的电视剧情比现在的连续剧更多元化，紧凑，精彩。

唉，怀念....