Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Filling in time

It's truly wonderful knowing that I have about four weeks ahead of me, of no early wake-ups, no leaving the house if I don't want to and no doing anything else I don't want to.

Yesterday I got started on my second nursery painting, this time a portrait of Tigger. I also started reading The Seven Daughters of Eve, by Bryan Sykes. One of The Editter's offerings, it's actually quite a timely thing to read at the moment. It's all about Sykes' research into tracing the origins of seven genetic European 'types'. Supposedly, all Europeans can trace themselves back to one of seven women. Along the way, he adds weight to the hypothesis that the NZ Maori (and other Polynesian populations) can be traced back to the indigenous Taiwanese population.

Last night we watch House of Flying Daggers. I'd been looking forward to this movie, described by reviewers as some sort of visually stunning martial arts romance, but I wasn't expecting that it would be quite the melodrama that it turned out to be. I'd describe it as a gorgeous martial arts chick flick or Asian-style bodice-ripper (...and the long-haired hero is a badboy, even). It had a better story than Hero, but is a not up to the standard of other Zhang Yimou films e.g. Raise the Red Lantern.

Yep, it's been a fine few days so far.

5 comments:

flying kiwi said...

I did enjoy House of Flying Daggers. I think because although I was expecting the visually stunning bit, I was surprised by how much story line there was.

Of course, 4 weeks til due date does not necessarily mean 4 weeks til baby. Could be anything from, oh, tomorrow, to a month and a half, couldn't it?

Anonymous said...

Well, how about that - I did not enjoy House as much as Hero. Hero was so good me and my fellah watched it twice at the magnificent Embassy Theatre (in the leather seats, natch!). As a spectacle of colour and cinematography, in our opinion it beat Crouching Tiger hands down, but both stories we thought much better than House.

Was just thinking what a bugger you're "house-bound" with the Film Festival starting this week...I've been good and only booked for 20 movies...8-)

You would have seen that there has been considerable interest just this week in the link between Maori and indigenous Taiwanese - a big article in Saturday's Dominion Post paper and a feature on the telly too:

http://www.tvnz.co.nz/view/page/423466/596904

So, if our ancestry is linked, then maybe we should go and claim our land back?!?! ;-)

Violet said...

flying kiwi: I'm hoping I get at least three weeks before the baby arrives, although I wouldn't want it to be overdue (too uncomfortable).

eb: I thought Hero was all beauty and no real story - well a dodgy one anyway. It's been a while since I saw Gong Li in a movie.

desiree: Yeah, I'll probably be giving the film fest a miss this year. There's not so much of a link btwn us Han Chinese and the Maori, so fat chance of getting any land back.

happyandblue2: you should be showing more respect for yer ancestors...

glomgold said...

That book sounds very interesting. I'm curious about all this origin of humans stuff.
Hero's story rings much deeper with me than House of Flying Daggers. They're both certainly in a different vein than older Zhang YiMou stuff but lumping Crouching Tiger in there with them is still just wrong.
So where do the Japanese fall into this whole Maori thing and why is Taiwan always so starry-eyed when glancing their way?

Violet said...

Glomgold: The book makes a link between Japanese and Korean, actually

About the movies, I reckon Zhang Yimou might be pandering a little overly much to the Western audience. He's definitely leaving credible plotline behind.