Bourne Supremacy

Just went to see Bourne Supremacy. The movie has a lot of exciting action, just as I expected. It would be even better if they did not shake the camera so much during the combat scenes.

Whale Rider

Just saw Whale Rider on DVD. It is set in a Maori tribe, where traditionally the first-born male child becomes the new chief. Pai is born into this line of heritage, but she is a girl. The rest of the movie is about her struggle to earn the love of her grandfather, who believes that everything went wrong the moment she was born.

After watching this movie, I have this question in my mind: Why is most part of the world dominated by male? How did that happen?

Bread and Tulips (Pane e tulipani)

We watched the movie Bread and Tulips on DVD this afternoon. It was delightful to watch Rosalba, the unappreciated housewife, rediscover the joy of life.

Sailing

We went sailing with David yesterday. I've never been on a sail boat before, so I did not know what to expect. We started from Pier 40 and went around Angel Island. David and his friend Mike controlled the boat with the tiller and ropes, and they used a lot of jargons. For an example, to "come about" means that we are changing direction so that the wind will be blowing from the other side of the sail. This one was important to know, since the boat would tip in another direction after that, and we needed to sit on the other side of the boat.

When you are in a sail boat, you really got to feel the power of the wind -- the boat made very good speed, and it tipped a lot while doing that. At one point we were almost vertical! I learned a lot about sailing yesterday. I am so glad that David invited us :)

The Da Vinci Code

I just finished reading The Da Vinci Code last night. I started reading on Saturday, and just couldn't stop. It was so good!

I, Robot

Just saw the movie I, Robot at the theater. I don't know how much of the movie is based on the book, since I haven't read it. What I can say is, it is a hero-save-the-world movie with a twist, and I enjoyed it a lot.

batgung

I am reading some articles written by two expatriates living in Hong Kong. They are really funny. I mean, they got to be, if they have the guts to name their site batgung!

National Simplify Your Life Week

I was recently told that the first week of August is National Simplify Your Life Week. I wonder how many people celebrate this, and what do they do?

Weapons of Math Instruction

A nice piece on Weapons of Math Instruction.

Asparagus Steamer etc.

I got a Crate and Barrel catalog in the mail, and got a kick out of reading it. My favorite items included the Egg Plate, the Silver Dollar Pancake Pan, and the Over-the-Sink Board. And when I saw the Asparagus Steamer, I just couldn't stop laughing...

Crepes Cafe

Tonight we went to Crêpes Café in Menlo Park for dinner. I ordered a chicken crêpe, and Francois had a "La Complete", which has ham, egg and cheese. We both asked for mushrooms as an extra. I like his crêpe better than mine -- the ingredients all went well together. We then shared a Belle Hélène crêpe for dessert. That was excellent.

Chicken

An amusing paper on chicken.

Donnie Darko

Just saw the movie Donnie Darko on DVD. It's an intriguing story. I just wish I had an idea what it is about!

Spritied Away (千と千尋の神隠し)

Last night we watched Spritied Away on DVD. Like all other Hayao Miyazaki movies, we were treated with a creative story depicted with colorful drawings and accompanied by beautiful music. It immersed us in a magical yet believable world, and we enjoyed it a lot.

Kids on Love

Don't know how authentic this is, but here is a fun read about the opinions of kids on love.

Back to Square Roots

The Stanford magazine published a showcase article about Cardinal Whirlwinds, my square dance team. Go squares!

My Life as a Dog (Mitt liv som hund)

I saw the Swedish movie My Life as a Dog. In the movie, 12-year-old Ingemar learn to deal with the joy and bitterness of life, when his mother was dying and he was sent away to stay with his relatives. A simple yet touching story.

Human Clock

I came across the human clock site. You can see the current time in a photo, and it changes every minute. Pretty amusing.

Spider-Man 2

Just saw Spider-Man 2 at AMC Mercado. I got annoyed at times when various characters verbalize the moral dilemma of Spider-Man, but other than that it's a great movie. Great action, great special effects, and very entertaining.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios)

Last night, I saw the movie Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown on DVD. It was by Pedro Almodóvar, who also did Hable con Ella. Unlike Hable con Ella, which is covered with a certain tone of sadness, this movie is outright funny. I guess you can tell from its name? Another thing I got out of it was that I really wanted to try some gazpacho myself -- without the extra ingredient from the movie, of course!