Quick notes on 'Notting Hill'.

It seemed rather strange that I had never seen this film (or at least not all the way through).  Being in love with London and British culture as I am.  But I do feel a little bit ignorant and out of the loop when it comes to films set in the "contemporary" UK.  With that said, this film felt like it was fraying a little at the edges in terms of age.  Soundtrack will obviously pull anything back to its rightful decade.  But also certain elements such as the swelling music during a kiss scene.  The final montage with all the friends smooching their assigned partner at the press conference.  And don't even get me started on that horrendous excuse for a wedding dress they put Julia Roberts in.

I think what I'm trying to say here is that I expected myself to enjoy this film much more than I did.  Sure, overall Hugh Grant was charming with his bumbling mannerisms.  And I did love London as a backdrop.  But I couldn't help but wonder if this film was received as cheesily when it came out in 1999 as I am in 2013.  I didn't believe the chemistry between Grant and Roberts.  And I think a lot of that was due to the contrived "professions of love" exchanged between them.  "I'm just a girl standing here wanting a boy to love me" or however it goes.  I was so put off by it, I can't even be bothered to Google it to see if I got it right.

While it may come off that I really disliked this film, I actually did enjoy it--I just was hoping for more.  I wasn't engaged enough.  Not fully, not sustained.  Goodness, I hope I'll be nicer next time I quickly jot down my thoughts on a watch.

Newcastle & Durham.

From September.

Le baguette.

So there was a moment this evening, walking out of Sainsbury's.  A moment where I realised I had made it.  Whatever that yard stick was, I was at the end of it.  Because in that moment, I was twenty-one and I had blisters on my ankles from shoes too small.  And I lived in Europe.  And then I asked myself if I really did live in Europe, like is the UK really considered Europe?  Sometimes it's referred to as its own separate, distinct entity, and I'm never quite sure whether or not to include it.  But for the sake of this, I'm including it.  In that moment, I was a young girl, living on her own in Europe, walking to the tube station with a bag of shopping and a baguette tucked under her arm.  Please.  Please.  Somebody stop me and ask me if I'm French.

No, but actually I was really pleased with myself, life, the cosmos and all that, and while I was gloating, I must have squeezed my arm too tightly because all of a sudden this beautiful 90p baguette fell limp against me.  It had snapped in half.  And there's no glamorous, graceful way of carrying a severed baguette.  And then my train terminated three stops too soon.  And then when a new train came, it was so crowded that I was worried that the doors had closed on the strings of my knapsack, and I was terribly paranoid that at my stop "doors will open on the lefthand-side" and I was definitely umbilically attached to the righthand-side.  And this is where you remember all the bad things, the things you're not doing that you should be doing.

Like not being trapped in doors.

But it was nice while it was nice.

Night Drive.

One of the reasons why London is my favorite place in the world is because of the way it moves.  And more specifically my relationship to this movement.  It's pretty goddamn easy to get about anywhere on public transport here.  And growing up in the US, this is something I'm in awe of--the accessibility of this city.  I spent years being a slave to the automobile, whether in suburban/rural Indiana or the vehicular hell that is Los Angeles.  This is probably why London's always felt like one of the most freeing cities for me.  Also you can walk.  Which, granted, is a tenet of cities rather than London itself.  But you can't walk in LA.  I tried.  Trust me.

It felt so wrong to see London from the passenger seat of a car.  Sacrilegious in a way.  Like I was cheating something.  But when my friend offered me the nighttime adventure, I mean really, like I'd turn this down to not violate constructed perceptions.

Also we found a McDonald's drive-thru and got a McFlurry and cheese dippers.  Win.

Happy 2013!

Happy New Year from everyone here at marionhoney (me).  These are some stills from my Christmas video which you can watch here.  I hope you have a great year--see ya on the internet!