Broken Montreal: Through Little Italy and the Edge of Mile End

For my contemporary canadian fiction class.

Oh, What Can You Do With A Sentimental Heart?

watched 500 days of summer recently as part of my recent movie-watching phase, so now i am obviously listening to she & him, because zooey deschanel.

[she & him - sentimental heart]

oh, and obviously m. ward whom i love so much who also toured recently with feist whom i also love obsessively.

i also really like this is not a test from their first album "vol. 1".

(here)

A Review of A Movie Which Came Out A Year Ago, "The Art of Getting By"

Since I've renewed my subscription to Netflix, I've been catching up on some Mad Men episodes, as well as watching at least a couple of movies a week. One movie I recently watched was "The Art of Getting By" (2011), a super cute movie about high school romance, and being young in general.

While I don't usually care for "teenage rebel falls for blonde chick while neglecting his homework but still being super smart" plots, I liked this one because Freddie Highmore's character is very easy to sympathize with. He's not an asshole. I would say he's less of a rebel and more just a shy kid trying to figure out who he is. He reminded me of a friend I had in Cegep who never did his homework just because he felt like drawing instead, or reading a book for pleasure, or just spending his time on things that mattered more to him. 

I guess I really liked this movie because it felt honest. It felt like it was written by someone who at least remembers what it's like to be a teenager. I hate TV shows and movies where the characters go to clubs because they always get it completely wrong, but "The Art of Getting By" actually did a good job with their New Year's Eve club scene. My favourite part of the movie is when George and Sally are having a "just friends" valentine's day dinner, and it's really clear to the audience that George is in love with her, but then this awkward/tense conversation occurs:

Sally: Have you ever had sex?

George: Yeah, tons.

Sally: No, really, have you?

George: Why are you asking me this? You know I haven't.

Sally: Well, I don't know, I'm just wondering. ... Have you ever thought about me?

George: What do you mean?

Sally: You know what I mean. Have you ever...have you ever thought about it?

George: Why are you doing this?

I just thought it was a realistic dialogue between two young people, one sexually experienced, one not at all, trying to navigate friendship and romance and growing up. I liked the feeling of him wanting to express his feelings, but not being ready to.

The only thing I couldn't stand is how obvious it is that George (Freddie Highmore) needs help, but his teacher's pretty much abandon him even though he tells them he's depressed. Maybe that's realistic too, sadly.

I also fully appreciated how much Emma Roberts looks like Dianna Agron who (whom?) I unabashedly love.

Also the soundtrack was awesome.

Who am I kidding? This movie was a total guilty pleasure.

I Enjoy To Write Posts About October

My general feeling about October throughout the rest of the year can probably best be summed up as "ambivalent". It's sort of this nothing month that disappears between the final warmth of September and the cold of November as "another month of school".

But when I get to October -- when I'm actually in it -- I really love this month.

First of all, September sucks so whenever October comes around it's like a huge breath of fresh air. September = stressful. October = not September, therefore October = something better. That may be a fallacy but still, I can't help but think that October means things are settling down, a normal schedule has been established, and I can breathe again without panicking.

Secondly, I feel like fall fashion is in full swing, and I can't wait to buy a new scarf and some socks and maybe even some new shoes.

Anyways, I've been listening to a lot of new music since I got back from my trip that I haven't been posting here (four months with no new music made me feel kind of deprived so I've been downloading new stuff at an abnormal rate).

Neko Case's "Middle Cyclone" is still on high rotation, but I'm also listening to Andrew Bird's 2009 album "Noble Beast".

Here's a really cool live version of my favourite song off that album "Nomenclature".



I'm also really into Yukon Blonde again. I saw them play in September when they were visiting for Pop Montreal and I picked up a sweet tank top and a renewed appreciation for how fun they are live (the first time I went to see them I was actually seeing The Wooden Sky -- but I walked away a Yukon Blonde fan). My favourite song off their latest album "Tiger Talk" is "Iron Fist" mostly because of the lyrics.

It feels like the very first time
anybody's hurt you so much
you could just die
but you will get over it.
You will get over it.

(via)

Also listening to: Destroyer, Devendra Banhart, The Mountain Goats, The New Pornographers, Okkervil River.

Portrait of a Sweet Orange

Citrus sinensis: the Sweet Orange,

not to be confused with the Citrus aurantium:

a bitter fruit.

Oranges are a vital source of Vitamin C.

The orange blossom is white.

Fallen blossoms are dried and used to make tea.

In the produce section of the grocery store

I watched a child sitting in a cart reach over the metal bars

and pick up a large orange. He held it in his hand

and then he bit it.

Apples are apples and oranges are oranges.

Nothing rhymes with orange.

The Sweet Orange does not occur in the wild.