Memories of a Mzungu

I am spending my Friday night watching the 1962 John Wayne movie Hatari!

Don't worry if you have no idea what I'm talking about. Five years ago, I had never heard of the movie and I went through a period in high school of watching a classic movie a week. I had watched more John Wayne films than I could name.

But then I went on safari in Tanzania and visited Tarangire NP. Everywhere around the entrance guard hut were signs about the movie being filmed there. Hatari means danger or caution. Baby Bro and I found it hilarious to yell "HATARI... THE MOVIE!" at each other for the rest of the trip.



We usually made this hand gesture as we yelled it...
although that was just coincidental.



Obviously, we had to watch the film when we returned home. Now it's my 'I miss Tanzania' film.

This round of nostalgia started when E and I ended up in Munro's Books in the language section. A Swahili book caught my attention and soon I was pontificating about how even a small knowledge of the language goes a long to increasing the willingness of the locals to help you and decreasing the opening quote on items in shops. I bored entertained E and the lady browsing down the aisle with stories which illustrated my point. (You're welcome for the travel tips, by the way, lady-who-kept-staring-at-me.)



The local mode of carrying goods.
The girl on the left is carrying an axe on her head.

Three days later, I found The White Masai on clearance for $5. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The writing isn't great and some of the decisions made by the author frustrated me to no end but the story just drew me. While the book is set in Kenya, the two countries are geographically similar and the bureaucracy is exactly the same. (A better term would be bribeaucracy.) As I read about Corinne's frustration with getting immigration papers sorted, I recalled how my low cut v-neck shirt got me a visa renewal when only a day earlier my scoop neck shirt was told it had to leave the country to renew my visa. (That's the power of the boobs, ladies!)


The beach at Kendwa, Northern Zanzibar



Memories I hadn't thought of in years came flooding back. The simple memories I don't pull out for dinner parties because there's no set story to entertain or inform those around me. Memories like the contentment of sitting on the shaded stoop of Susie's shop on a sunny day, drinking a coke baridi and chatting with the passersby I know. Or how looking at Mt. Meru as I left the baby home made the day complete.



The eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley. You can almost reach out and touch it.

I started dreaming in Swahili which is amazing because a) I haven't done that since five months after I came home and b) the only Swahili I remember when I'm awake is what I had to yell say to the children 18 times an hour - Stop it! Come here! No! Sit down! No hitting! Lunch/Dinner time! Go potty?, pretty standard toddler sentences - or basic greetings. In my dreams, however, I recalled a lot more. Although I'm more than willing to concede that most of the 'Swahili' I was dreaming in was probably my mind making up appropriate sounds. But there were a few actual words I was able to recall upon waking up.


The streets of Stone Town, empty during Ramadan.

Invigorated by these six relearned words, my Swahili hip hop* and Bongaflava downloads found their way back into my music rotation. Because obviously, if I'm dreaming in Swahili, I'm f*cking fluent! Baby Bro interviewed me for his paper on the education system in Tanzania while another friend invited me over for Ethiopian takeout and a movie set in Kenya (based on a true story... and you should totally watch it). The Amazing Race - the only reality show I would ever want to be on - headed to Tanzania and even went through a town I remember fondly, Mto wa Mbu (which is not what you'd expect someone to say about a town named 'river of mosquitos'. And for the record: mmm-toe wa mmm-boo). All these little reminders of Africa kept popping up.


Hard at work teaching me Swahili patty cake rhymes.



So here I sit with John Wayne humanely catching monkeys in the background while I stare at travel brochures for East Africa advertising trips I can't afford. Oh, to stand up in the jeep as it bumps its way down to the Ngorongoro Crater floor. To jump out of the dhow and wade ashore with my bag on my head as old fishermen fix their nets in the shade of the old Portuguese fort at Kilwa Kisiwani. To watch the sun set on cloudless Kilimanjaro as I eat dinner with Mama Musa, Hadija and the rest of the nannies. To barter with a stall keeper and then watch him charge the other tourists more because they don't greet him in Swahili.

To sit on the shaded stoop of Susie's shop on a sunny day, drinking a coke baridi and chatting with the passersby I know.



View from the ridge of Ngorongoro Crater after our game drive.



*The Hip Hop group I linked to, X Plastaz, is known because they rap in Swahili and Maa (the language of the Masai). The song I linked to doesn't have a video but it's the first X Plastaz song I ever heard and I love the use of the Masai throat singing in the background.

It Pretty Much Went Like That

And just like that, almost two weeks went by...

I wasn't so overly busy I couldn't post, I was just lacking the motivation to write anything. I think I kind of burned myself out on the Christmas posting and just needed a no-guilt break from posting for a little bit. It was well-worth it. Still, life continued on while all was quiet on here so let's glance back.

1. My goal of listing everything each week is still going well... kind of. I got a little overzealous after my last post and wrote a list which was three pages long. Granted, it was a lot of small (but important) tasks written on pages only 20 lines long, but it was still long. Monday and Tuesday, I attacked that thing like McCarthy attacked suspected communists.

Image from Hyperbole and a Half. Specifically this post.

Full disclosure: I love Ali Brosh with all my heart.

Wednesday I looked at the list and did a few things but just couldn't find the motivation to keep it up for more than an hour (plus there was snow to play in!). Thursday, I woke up feeling achy and unable to concentrate for longer than 5 mins at a time. Friday was full flu-epidemic in my world. Dammit.

Monday and Tuesday had taken the list down to one page so I'm clinging to the idea that had I not been incubating a petri dish in my nasal cavities/head/throat/achy back muscles, I totally could have gotten the list completed. And I totally would have cleaned all the things!

2. It snowed in Victoria. It was beautiful. I don't have pictures because a) I had to return the camera to its rightful owner and b) just like you don't bring a knife to a gun fight, you don't bring electronics to a snowball fight.

But it was really pretty. The temps stayed low enough that it stuck around like proper Alberta snow instead of turning into the slushy, icy, deathtrap snow that it usually is in Victoria. Then one night it started raining and when the city woke up the next morning, the snow was gone. That's the way I wish it would happen every year.

3. Season Four of Merlin has started. Yes, I watch Merlin. Judge me all you want, I like it.

It's cheesy fun times with adorable accents and awesome sets. And seeing as Doctor Who isn't on right now, I need something to watch while I enjoy my Sunday morning coffee. Also, James Callis (aka Gaius Baltar from BSG) has a guest appearance on it this week so my geeky heart is just jumping with excitement. I will defend my love of this cheesy, cheesy show. Now, if you really want to judge me...

4. The Challenge: Battle of the Exes has started on MTV. Strangely enough, I don't actually care for 'The Real World' from which this was born. The Challenge is different. I always make an effort to watch it. Judge me. Please. Goodness knows, I'm judging myself for admitting this. The first episode aired this past Wednesday and I was way more giddy about it than any 30+ year old has any right to be.

5. I'm back to work in the office. I've been put in charge of a new project which is both awesome and intimidating. I'm the only person in my building working on it, while all my contacts either work in the other building or work for a different ministry/business partner. It's strange to go from a position where all my thoughts on a program had to go through my supervisor for approval before being signed off at the ministry to a position where all my thoughts go through me and, within my little sphere of influence, the ministry doesn't have to sign off on it.

Check back in six months for my update about how I ran the program into the ground and brought the entire government to its knees with an excel spreadsheet.

Guess where I borrowed and modified this from.

6. Remember when I said I was working on a vlog? Almost done. Just thought you should know that. You know what else is almost done? My final Ireland post with reviews of places we stay/ate/visited. It turned into a book so I'm going back and editing it down to a more bare-bones, less trying-to-be-funny, review post. Strictly reviews/suggestions for other travellers.

7. More judging: I'm going to Underworld: Awakening tonight. Is it going to be crap? Probably. Will I love every crappy moment of it? Definitely. I have an unhealthy love of that series... even the second really crappy one. For all my 'I read science blogs and non-fiction books', I have crap taste in films and have no right to judge anyone's film preferences... unless it's Twilight.

But not the second one. It barely had a story.

8. I got my DVDs of Firefly back from the person I lent them to. Between lending them to three different friends, I haven't had them in over six months. Obviously, I need to rewatch them. I'm toying with the idea of a 12-week Firefly Friday post series. Just giving you all fair warning that it may get really nerdarific up in here!

I've missed my little corner of the Internets. It feels good to be back.

CMC: The Movies

This is part of my Christmas Memory Challenge, a goal I set for myself to recall 25 things I love about Christmas. You can also check out Shannon's memories here.

I never really got into the Christmas specials that most kids did. I have no nostalgic memories of watching Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman; I'll watch them when they're on TV but I don't search them out and I'm perfectly content not seeing them. There are, however, five movies that I have watched pretty much every year since I was four. It's a tradition my stepmom started and even when I lived in Germany/Switzerland, I found three of them on television at odd hours and made sure to watch them.

A Child's Christmas in Wales

This was my dad's contribution to the annual movie line up. The year that Denholm Elliot passed away, my dad decided to tell me while we were watching this film. The following year, he decided to tell me again that Denholm Elliot was still dead. Thanks, dad! Because I was expecting Denholm Elliot to be the epicentre of the zombie apocalypse. Of course, now my Baby Bro and I always finish the title by saying "he's dead, you know!" which we think is hilarious... even if no one else does.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

We watch the Black and White version because we're traditionalists in our family. At least, when it comes to films.

It's a Wonderful Life

'Nuff said.

A Christmas Carol

First, I just need to comment "a spirited portrayal as Marley." BWAHAHAHAHA! Spirited!!! HAHAHAHA!

While I have seen plenty of adaptations, the 1951 one with Alistair Sims (again, not colourized) is my favourite. I have watched this film (in fact, all these films) at least 25 times. I am 31 years old. The scene when he can hear the bells ring turns me back into a terrified 4 year old. To the best of our ability, we try to watch this one as close to Christmas Eve as we can.

Note: The film was released in the UK as A Christmas Carol and in the States as Scrooge. It wasn't until we got the DVD about six years ago that we knew it had two names. I will always call it A Christmas Carol.

White Christmas

Is the movie really just a chance to showcase the talents of the four stars with a somewhat simplistic storyline and schmaltzy love story? Yes. Does it contain some fabulous songs and great dance numbers? Does it make me ridiculously happy? Yes. So really, it's a giant film of win.

And because this scene used to make me laugh so hard I'd snort (I don't anymore because I'm a lady... well, I'm an adult), here's a bonus video!

List It Like a Boss!

I'm not feeling very creative with my writing right now so you get a lovely list of things I need to talk about. I make no promise for any sort of coherency in this post. You have been warned.

1. I just realised that I often end things with "you have been warned". Perhaps that should have been the title of my blog.

2. There was supposed to be another Ireland post today but then Al and I finally set a time for swapping photos. There's a certain section of today's post which really needs her photos. Words won't do it justice. Also, hard to believe I only have two more Ireland posts left.

3. Further to #2, I'm looking into the logistics of organizing a trip to Ireland in September 2013. Reasons and details here.

4. Further to #3, if Ciaran McMenamin knows what's good for him, he'll run like hell if he ever sees me coming. I will make him read an entire phone book just to hear his voice.

5. John Scalzi is my excuse for not doing anything last night. On Saturday night, Scalzi live-tweeted The Two Towers and Return of the King. Then, in case you missed it, he blogged his tweets (which you should totally read because he's hilarious and nerdy. Also, check out the Smegol dub-step fish slapping dance in the comments). I decided that I needed to rewatch the Lord of the Rings trilogy. So I started that last night. Say good bye to my evenings for the next little while because I'm watching the extended editions.

6. It also means that my friends will have to put up me thinking I'm hysterical for the next few days when really, I'm just really, really nerdy.

7. I have to go get awesome pictures to make the next Ireland post even more awesome so I'm stopping my listing there.

PS.

I also went to see Bridesmaids. I laughed until my sides hurt and then I cried a little before I laughed some more.

I may have snorted.

Go see it.

Book, I mean, Blog Update.

I wish I could tell you I haven't been posting because I've been epically busy but I haven't really. As the weather gets nicer, I've just been spending more time away from the computer. Oh, and I just finished a 1000 page book in two weeks while still working full time, doing some writing for a friend and socializing. Right, it's not the nice weather, it's the 'ohmigawdthisseriesissoooooooooooogoodIcantstopreading' that's keeping me away from posting.

Some of these items I will mention in future posts, but for now:

I went to see Thor with 'the boys' and I really, really enjoyed it. Having to stare at Chris Hemsworth in 3D didn't hurt either.

I attended an adoption information session. My mom came with me. It's safe to say that a lot has changed in the world of adoption in the last 30 years (namely, the cost).

I've watched a lot of hockey. I even watched hockey while Big Bro and I treated mom to a belated Mother's Day dinner. My mom has very little interest in hockey beyond asking us how the Canucks are doing. This is the second Mother's Day in a row that she's let her special day take a back seat to a Canucks game. She is a good, good lady.

I've talked a lot of hockey. I've also made fun of people who don't know hockey but insist on talking like they do. I love the Canucks but we have a lot of bandwagon jumpers. It's almost enough to make 'bleed green and blue' fans want to support another team. Almost.

I went on a date. It was bad. I may do a post dedicated to exactly how bad it was. He punched my boob, managed to infer that I was a creepy because I'd willing go to a Comic Con, and is allergic to cats. It's the trifecta of "there is no way in hell I am ever going out with you again".

I attended the inaugural meeting of the Reynold's Alumni Band Steering Committee. Feel free to openly mock me in the comments.

I am displaying three of my photos at work. Only one is up right now as they were unsure of their total space at the time we discussed my pieces but the other two go up tomorrow. The first one has received a lot of compliments so I'm really happy with my decision to submit my work for showing. It's like I'm a real artist (and I've got the bank account to prove it)!

There's more but, um, book three in the series isn't going to read itself so... yeah. Till next time!

Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh My!

I've been doing a lot of catch up work this morning which is why there was a flurry of posts this morning. Finally, all the books I've been reading are up to date! Part of the reasoning is that I don't have Internet in the apartment this morning and if I'm going to haul my laptop all the way to the coffee shop, I should at least be productive while I'm there...

I mentioned briefly that I attended the Victoria Film Festival. Every year I pick about ten films I want to see, try to find people to go with and then end up maybe seeing one. This year, I decided to pre-pay for tickets and go regardless of company. In the end, I saw The People vs. George Lucas, Le Poil de la Bête, Out of the Ashes, Two Indians Talking, and Kinshasa Symphony. I really enjoyed all the movies. The People made me think about how I view George Lucas; Le Poil was a lighthearted comedic romp through werewolf lore, Ashes was wonderful film about the power of sport, Indians could have used some editing but I thought the ideas put forth were very interesting and a great jumping off place for a discussion on the current state of natives in Canada, and Kinshasa Symphony did for the power of music what Ashes did for sports. As someone who is a lover of music in all forms, I really enjoyed this documentary.

I feel like I have a million more things to say, but I've now been at the coffee shop for over two hours so it might be time for me to pack up and head home. That floor isn't going to vacuum itself... unfortunately.

Love To You All!

I don't hate Valentine's Day but I don't love it. I've done the coupled-up-over-priced-dinner. I've done the single-ladies-hit-the-town-en-masse. I've done the coupled-up-cook-a-romantic-dinner. I've done the single-ladies-fancy-drinks-and-chick-flicks. Ugh, none of them really made me feel any better about the day.

This year I decided to do something a little different. This year I'm taking myself on a date. In about an hour, I'm heading out to see Casablanca at a nearby theatre and I'm getting dressed up for the occasion. My original plan had been to find people to go with and then I just decided 'fuck it'. Not to say that if a friend had wanted to join me I would have said 'no', but I liked not having to worry about whether or not I'd find someone to join me.

Maybe I'll run into someone up there that I know or maybe I'll be the lone single ticket in a crowd of couples. Either way, I have a date with Rick and Ilsa and that's more than enough for me.

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!

UPDATE:
After I posted this entry, I disappeared into the back of my apartment where there are no windows. When I returned to my living room less than 5 minutes later, torential rain was pounding against my window.

If I was driving I would have still gone, but I'm a public transit gal and I really don't like wearing my dry suit on the bus. So instead I've had a quiet Valentine's evening doing a few jobs I had on my list for tomorrow. Romantic, I know.

But don't worry, I still plan to keep my date with Humphrey. Just a few more items to cross off the list, and then it's me, Humphrey and a glass of wine.

Victoria Film Festival: The People vs. George Lucas

I never saw the original Star Wars on the big screen because I was born the year The Empire Strikes Back was released. I have no stories of first time viewing, no life changing moments brought about by the films, just that I always remember them being a part of my life and I always loved them.

When the Special Editions were released, I eagerly lined up with everyone else to see them. It made me so happy that I was finally able to see these three films on the big screen after years of watching them on warped VHS tapes, but a little part of my love died as I watched Greedo shoot first. HAN SHOT FIRST!!

I don't hate the prequels but I also don't love them. 'Meh' is the best word I can find to describe my feelings towards them. Instead of getting angry about them and indignant at what George has done to the Star Wars franchise, I prefer to pretend they don't exist. My children will grow up believing that 'IV' is the roman numeral for 'one'.

Enter the Victoria Film Festival and its showing of The People vs. George Lucas. I attended tonight's showing with Darth* and I do take a little bit of dorky pride in saying that we were second and third in line. The film was well worth the wait in the cold.

It was a very funny and interesting look at how people feel about George Lucas. We have a man who created this incredible world and shared it with us through his films. He shaped pop culture in a way that could never have been anticipated prior to the first movie's release. He was the driving force behind our childhood imaginations. And then he tinkered with it. People got angry. But did they really have a right to get that angry? It is, after all, his original work. Where are his rights to do with it as he wants? The film wasn't a deep, philosophical look at the subject matter but it definitely did make me stop and think on a few points.

It's a film that I think even non-geeks would enjoy and I was glad it was my first film of this year's Film Festival. Now, bring on the werewolves!

*Names have been changed to protect the evil.

Things I Learned This Week

I wish I could get paid for the work I do for Matoto. It's not that I feel I deserve compensation for it, but because I love it and if I got paid, I could quit 'the rat race' and actually love, not tolerate-and-sometimes-even-enjoy, my job.

Even if I'm not working Monday to Friday, my body finds Fridays exhausting.

I miss being on the phones at work. Due to a shortage of staff on Friday, I had to handle the phones. It's something I hadn't done in 17 months. I never realised how much I missed the direct contact with the clients, and how I get my satisfaction in life from knowing that I've helped someone.

I need to help people. It's who I am.

My body loves to dance.

A conversation with an old friend can turn a stressful Thursday into one that ends in laughter.

Coffee with a new friend can make a great Wednesday an awesome Wednesday.

No matter how many times I watch it, I always giggle when the captain yells "sheiße" in Das Boot and the subtitle says "oh no!".

I wish I knew enough about computers to take the scene I mentioned above from my DVD of the movie and upload it to YouTube so I could link to it and make all of you laugh too.

Sitting in a coffee shop for an hour with a large coffee and a good book is the most satisfying way I know to waste my time.

Fake dating website questionnaires and planning retreats go together better than I could have anticipated.

The Victoria Symphony has Bach's Brandenburg Concerto 4 and Beethoven's Symphony 6 coming up on February 27th and March 7th respectively. Is it every socially acceptable to roll the blue rinse set for their symphony tickets?

If you decide to go for an epic walk because it's bright and clear and you want to play with your camera, make sure your batteries aren't on the brink of dying.

Sometimes Saturday nights are best spent with a bottle of wine, a chick-flick and two cuddly cats.

Best. Film. Ever.

Valentine's Day. Even when I'm apart of a couple, it's not really a day I look forward to because it always has such a big build up for a day which rarely has any personal connection. Hey honey, let's celebrate our love with every other couple in the the world while restaurants jack up their prices! But this year, I'm actually looking forward to Valentine's Day. Why? Because Cinecenta is showing Casablanca!!!!! (Yes, Casablanca deserves all those exclamation marks.)

Casablanca is my favourite movie. It's funny, it's romantic, it has Nazis, what's not to love? When I meet someone and find out they haven't seen Casablanca, I judge them a little bit. When I meet someone who has seen it and doesn't like it, well, I judge them a lot. How can you not like Casablanca? How? I automatically assume that there must be something wrong with them because there is. How can you not enjoy a movie with Humphrey Bogart (there was a man who could rock a fedora!) and Ingrid Bergman? It has what is apparently the most misquoted line ever in cinematic history ("Play it again, Sam") along with "round up the usual suspects", "here's looking at you, kid", and "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship". Plus, it has Nazis.

It's been ten years since I saw this film on the big screen. It was playing at Cinecenta the weekend before I moved to Germany so I gathered up a group of friends and made them watch it as my going-away party. The idea of watching it again on the big screen has gotten me really excited. (I may have squealed to myself... alone... in my apartment... and then clapped my hands like I'm five.) So, bring it Valentine's Day. I don't care if I have to go to the movie alone, it's going to be awesome. Take that, Elton John.

Also, if you haven't seen Casablanca and you plan on ever talking to me again... you might want to watch it... or make sure you're a very good liar... but I think you should just watch it. It has Nazis!

A Social Weekend

For some reason, I thought I might get some writing done this weekend. I have a few topics rattling around the old noggin which I've been meaning to put down on paper. On Tuesday of last week, I laid some ground work on them with the hope that I'd be able to finish them up by today.

Instead, I supported a friend as he performed an acoustic set at the Bard and Banker. I cheered a hockey team on as they won after a wonderful Thai dinner with a friend. I devoured black pudding over brunch with a friend who I met on exchange to Germany 10 years ago. I celebrated a friend's birthday with sushi and a discussion about the awesomeness which is Back To the Future III. I drank too much coffee with a friend while wasting away two hours. I enjoyed my last day with my mom before she leaves for Peru by attending a matinee of The King's Speech and then letting her make dinner for me.

You'll excuse me then, if I barely found time to write my grocery list for tomorrow. But I will leave you with two things: 1) Go see The King's Speech because it is fantastic; you will laugh, you will cry, you will probably sit beside someone twice as old as you and 2) Justin Hewitt is playing again at the Bard and Banker on February 3rd; it will be a mix of cover songs and originals but it will all be awesome.

(I don't know why blogger always makes my videos so much darker than they actually are. Also, please excuse my singing in the background and then the idle chatter about Ireland.)

Traditional Traditions

There are certain things I need to do to really feel like it's Christmas. I'm a sucker for traditions and I have a lot of them all year round but especially at Christmas. I am, after all, a self-proclaimed Fauxman Catholic. I started one of the traditions Saturday night by watching White Christmas and another one on Sunday by baking Grandma's Molasses Cookies with my mom.

The scene with the bells leading up to this scene used to terrify me.

Actually, it still does.

My step-mom always watched certain movies leading up to Christmas. Eventually these films became a must for our family: White Christmas, A Child's Christmas in Wales, Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Carol/Scrooge (depending on what country you're in). We have certain rules that have to be followed for each movie. The order in which we watch them is carefully selected as only White Christmas or A Child's Christmas in Wales are allowed be watched after Christmas. A Christmas Carol has to be watched as close to Christmas Eve as possible. On Christmas Eve is the best night but with two households to plan around, that's not always possible. Unfortunately, my step-mom moved up to Nanaimo earlier this year so many of these films are being watched alone.

They're about to fulfill their destiny of being tasty, tasty cookies!

Grandma's Molasses Cookies recipe goes back to at least my great-Grandma. My grandma always had them year round in her house (obviously not with Christmas designs like ours) but we only make them at Christmas. I like it more that way. Like Starbucks' seasonal flavourings, it builds the anticipation. I eagerly await for my mom to suggest a baking date every year and then I talk ad nauseum about how we're going to bake Grandma's cookies and how they're the best cookies ever (which they totally are!) and that the recipe is over 100 years old. It's not just that I love eating these cookies, I love making them. I love the process of rolling out the dough and fitting the cookie cutters to get as many cookies as possible. I love icing them and then adding sprinkles. There's something about that last step that just really seals the deal for me.

Best. Cookies. EVER!

My family is full of traditions, these are just two of them, but there's too many to talk about them all so I'll just leave it to the ones I actually participated in this year. Besides, who really wants to hear about my Baby Bro almost falling from the ladder with the chainsaw during our family tradition of cutting down our own Christmas tree?

Open the Gates and Seize the Day!

What is sure to be an incredibly busy weekend (meeting in Shawnigan tomorrow morning, staff party tomorrow evening, hangover on Sunday...) kicks off with a good old fashioned girl's night tonight. Tonight I get to introduce two of my best friends to one of my all-time favourite films of my childhood: Newsies.

This movie defined my tween years. My best friend (whose name I will keep hidden for fear she will hunt me down and beat me) and I would rent it almost every Friday night for a year before my mom finally bought me my own copy. We knew all the words, sang along with the songs, and incorporated some of the choreography into our own dances. It was, in all honest, a wee bit of an obsession for us. We may have even created back stories for some of the characters, and continued the story line after the movie. May have. I refuse to actually admit to that in print.

I was a little shocked one night to discovered that neither of these friends had seen it. These were girls who knew lyrics to all the same musicals that I did. These were girls who had squealed with me when Patrick Swayze appeared in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (still waiting for #3 The Swim to Miami). These were girls who joined our facebook group "Christian Bale's Chompers Anonymous" (muh teef). In short, these were girls who should have seen Newsies multiple times!

Luckily, one of their sister's (who has seen Newsies and has loved it as much as me) totally agrees. We discovered our mutual love of the film when I made a comment about it on facebook. I had just received the DVD for Christmas (my love for Newsies is well documented in my family so when someone saw the DVD while shopping, they knew it had to be in my stocking on Christmas morning) and, of course, had to watch it immediately upon returning home. I still remembered all the lyrics despite not having seen the film in at least 10 years so I worked the lyrics into a status update thinking no one would get it.

Someone did.

We've been planning this evening since that comment. It's finally going to happen.

Dese is for da Newsies!