April 30th, 2006
Last formal day of the Minneapolis-St Paul International Film Festival and we enjoyed Love this afternoon with Kostja and Jamie. This film was a delight, thoughtful yet entertaining. There were some strong Tarantino influences in the fluid use of time and multiple characters (a la Pulp Fiction and a closing scene very similar to the final scene in Reservior Dogs, but the film was also quite original. There was some really great camera work with the use of mirrors/reflections as well as motion.
Maybe the most important bit was the culture clash/combination, which Gina explained to me very nicely. But first a little background. The film is about a Serbian guy who fought in the civil war and now lives in New York City doing some jobs. He runs in to his ex-girlfriend who has an American NYC cop for a boyfriend. The key is that the American boyfriend sees everything so much more black and white compared to everyone else (of various Eastern European background). This film does a great job of showing how simplified life is to many Americans, where we argue about abstract issues that rarely affect our daily lives, and rarely have to deal with true moral dilemmas that affecting us right at the moment.
I don’t think this one is at the Best of the Fest - but if there is any way you can see it I would highly recommend it.
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April 30th, 2006
Taking a break from converting financial statements from Russian GAAP to IAS, BK and I headed back to Marshall Fields to get the boy some shoes. After succeeding at that operation, we stopped by in men’s department to look at some formal suits for him as we’re considering not wasting money at a silly tuxedo he will wear once. After chatting with a very friendly store employee we found exactly one suit in the entire store that fit BK.
Armani.
$1700.
That’s right people, apparently even the Hugo Bosses and Pradas of this world have given up producing men’s suits in sizes smaller than 38 for US market. The same friendly clerk who definetely doesn’t like girls told us that it is the blessing and the curse of having an Armani body. Hmmm… maybe if I do get that eBay dress for eighty bucks, we can get that Italian silkiness for BK.
In related news, I decided to start a counter of my wedding-related expenses. Hopefully, it can be of some help to those of you thinking of tying the knot one of these days and not going completely broke.
The tally so far:
“Anti-bride: the wedding guide”– $20
A glossy bridal magazine– $6 (so yeah, I am a girl, shut up!)
__________________
$26
Categories: Delinquent Bride |
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April 28th, 2006
As the Minneapolis-St Paul International Film Festival is still going on, we spent our evening (with Kostja and Jamie) at this year’s only Russian film Four.
I don’t know what to say. We expected a rather strange, depressing post-modern epic. We got that and more. Much more. Let’s just say the film included a party with 70 year old grandmas drinking vodka and exposing themselves, but, there were far more young Russian boobies than old ones. Don’t let that turn you off (or on as the case may be), it was a very interesting film, filled with myriad symbolic threads. I’m not sure if I left contemplating the vainity of all existence or just wondering what it all means. If you like David Lynch, this film is for you.
This film has made it to the “Best of the Fest” and will screen again at the Bell Auditorium on Saturday 6 May at 2115 - get there early as it will most likely sell out. It helps to have a native Russian to help describe some of the symbolism and cultural nuances, but if you don’t have your own like I do there will no doubt be plenty at the screening happy to discuss.
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April 27th, 2006
Still slightly traumatized by my bridal sale experience, I have put the wedding plans on the back burner and plunged into what I should be doing now anyway– working on my two school projects due next week.
However that decision doesn’t stop my coworkers from planning my wedding. A boss of my boss told me about a site where guest finance a honeymoon activity of their choice instead of buying a stupid linen set while another friendly tipster suggested checking out eBay for all my bridal needs. Lo and behold– same veils sold at the stores for hundreds of dollars are offered by merchants from all over the world for ten bucks. And I even found a dress or two that I would consider buying. However, all this pales in comparison with lovely wedding accesories the world of online bidding has to offer. How about Boston Red Sox garters ? Or a light-up pair of wedding shoes? For more in wedding and bachelorette party favors, just go to the damn site yourself.
Categories: Delinquent Bride |
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April 25th, 2006
Me neither - but I’m talking about gasoline, petrol for some.
CNN is telling us that President Bush is making moves to slow the rise in gasoline prices. About damn time. 2005 was a record year for the oil industry:
Oil companies reported record profits in 2005, led by Exxon Mobil, which said it made $36.1 billion — the largest-ever annual profit for a U.S. firm.
And that is not referring to US oil companies - that is a record for largest annual profits for any US firm. Holy Shit!
So, it’s good to hear that Bush is ready to do something about it:
- Delay deposits to the national oil reserve
- Begin probes in to price gouging
- Suggest removing tax breaks for large oil companies to search for oil in risky areas
I think these are good moves, if only symbolic. Bush’s approval rating are at an all time low, with Americans citing high gasoline prices as a major issue. He had to do something. The concern is that these three items look good, but may lack substance (this remains to be seen). Eliminating tax breaks for big oil companies is the most respectable move, and should have been done long ago, but will have little real effect. The other two will have almost no real effect either, but at least look good.
So, how about some funding for alternative fuel? There is a finite amount of fossil fuel available, and an even smaller finite amount that is easy (cheap) to get at. I don’t like it, but the best chance for alternative energy sources are high oil prices - at some point they will become cheap by comparisson.
Categories: Politics |
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April 25th, 2006
I have been silent about my Monday night class but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been bitter.
After a lovely one week Easter break (thank you oh Catholic University!), we’re back on track. A small miracle happened: the homework I got back last night got 35 out of 35 possible points. I almost forgot that feeling! Remaining action items: a group project concentrating on an international company’s financial statements and a scary-scary final. My group mate has bravely followed my suggestion to analyze a Russian beer company, so we’re bringing 0.5 liters for everybody. I am hoping for at least half a letter grade bump due to the physical props.
Just three more weeks to go! (And did I mention another project and three papers that are due for my Tuesday class?)
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April 24th, 2006
It’s that time of year again, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival and Gina and I are enjoying it. We are up to three films so far, with just under a week to go. The only problem with the festival is that it falls in the nicest part of spring, possibly the best time of year in MN, and we spend it all inside. Here’s what we’ve seen so far:
We were supposed to see a depressing Polish film Ode to Joy, but the film was stuck in customs (why would a film be stuck in customs?). Anyway, The Collector was cool. In some ways an archetypical story of sin and redemption it did offer insight in to doing business in Eastern Europe. Some elements of the cinematography were pretty cool, enjoyed the soundtrack too.
John and Jane Toll-Free is a documentary on working in call centers in India (Mumbai specifically). Having been to India I was even more interested. It offered a great look at how the people in the call center live and work. One of the most interesting things is how American values are taught in a classroom in an attempt to help the workers releate to Americans. Even more interesting is the way some of the workers begin to adopt these American values (along with their American names). Only one of the people was credited with her Indian name, the rest were credited with their “American” first name.
This film has too many subplots to really go in to much detail, the primary plot is a young Tibetan-American woman (making a documentary on Chinese abuse of Tibetans) assists one of her documentary subjects fulfill his promise to his dying mother by finding a man named Loga. That’s about all the further I can take the story line. This one was also set in India, primarly Dharamsala, Dehli, and Jaipur. Gave a great look at how it must feel to be Tibetan and have your homeland pulled out from under you and your way of life destroyed.
You can learn more about Tibet and the situation (that has been ignored by most of the world) at:
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April 24th, 2006
In case you think Monday is not going well, here’s an email I got from my dear friend Andrew who currently works in Canada but comes back here for weekends. This is what happened to him as he was trying to get back to Canada this morning in time for the start of the work week. MLP mentioned in his story is his lovely fiancee.
1. leave house at 5:20 to make a 6:00 flight
2. drive fast
3. my little pony gets pulled over right as we approach the departures at msp. It’s a woman cop. She is not nice.
4. b**tch cop does not care that I will miss flight
5. I proceed to run to the airport during which, another cop stops and asks me what I am doing. I must admit a guy running down the road at msp looks odd
6. Moving through security I reach the low point of the morning when the nice TSA lady whispers to me… your fly is undone.
7. I arrive at the gate at 5:57, flight gone.
8. I am put on a standby for the 6:50 Am flight
9. The sweaty mess that I am, I proceed to the nearest clothing outlet, in this case being Land’s End to purchase a new shirt as my existing one is entirely soaked in sweat and now somehow has a food stain on it. Picture this for a second. Additionally, I realize that my pants are missing the top button AND in case I failed to mention this earlier, my H&M bag which was already borderline not a “male” bag has a zipper broken in such a way that it defies the laws of physics and gravity.
10. After living in MN for 9 years I finally purchase an item of clothing at Land’s End. The sales clerk who is undoubtebly not into girls flirts with me. I sweat even more now, this time onto my new shirt.
11. I proceed to the gate where my 6:50 AM flight is to find myself on a standby list that is not looking good. As all the passengers that actually have seats assigned to them disappear, it is me, an off-line pilot and a really large woman in socks and sandals waiting for mercy.
12. The offline pilot gets the jumpseat in the cockpit. I think about asking for that same seat, but seeing my sweaty self and only a small bag in my hand with no checked luggage visions of Camp X-Ray and Abu Ghraib style interrogations fill my mind. I don’t ask.
13. One seat is available and is provided to the fat lady whose 3 chins are now filled with a smile, well, at least for 15 seconds until the one remaining passenger actually arrives late and is given his seat. The 3 chins frown as do I.
14. I am given the option of taking a 10:30 AM out to Detroit with a 2 PM connection to Toronto. Total time waiting in airport - 4 kazzillion hours. I choose a 6:50 PM departure and a retreat back to Plymouth.
15. I examine options and like Jack Bauer in the middle of a mission I contact Agent MLP (My Little Pony), who hastily arranges a rental car for me on Hotwire.com. Seconds after pressing OK and booking a heavily discounted vehicle I arrive at the Avis counter to receive the keys to my transportation nirvana - a green Ford Focus.
16. I arrive in Plymouth and make a pathetic phone call to my boss who is either laughing his a$$ off right now or making plans to replace me with something automated or in Mumbai.
17. I think my parking bill at YYZ is going to be over $100. I begin to sob.
Categories: Random/Funny |
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April 23rd, 2006
For those of you who use my internet email address, please note that I have finally got fed up with my environmentally but not user friendly service provider.
My new email address is the same handle as I had before but it is now @gmail.com Please update your records!
If you had it in the first place, you know what the new one is 
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