What are you doing the rest of your life?

Tonight, my favorite American Idol contestant of the season, Amber Holcomb, sang the Barbra-Streisand-popular-version of What are you doing the rest of your life?; a song included in Streisand's The Way We Were record and only sung live once, impeccably if I may add as you would expect from Streisand, 20 years after, in her 1994 concert.

Although it was Streisand's version that became popular and iconic, probably because of her stature and how flawless and grand she interprets the very essence of the song, it wasn't her original. The song was originally sung by Michael Dees for the 1969 movie The Happy Ending, music composed by Michel Legrand and lyrics by the husband and wife team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

With or without Streisand's magnificent voice carrying it, I suppose the song is truly destined to be a classic, if only because of how cleverly and profoundly the song was written. This is probably the most intellectual and yet emotional way of telling the love of your life to stay with you; asking What are you doing the rest of your life? - to 'spend all his seasons and times of his days' with you - to make his life yours and your life his.

Russell Crowe and the presumptuous Superman

Okay, let me get this out of the way first and say: this is as testosterone-charged as a Superman movie could ever get! Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Henry Cavill and produced by Christopher Nolan? C'mon!

While i have no doubt that this destined to be another Nolan blockbuster, i just find it (well, the trailer at least) too presumptuous and overbearing featuring lines like:

1. Russel Crowe (Superman's father) in his usual Gladiator-creepy-voice telling Superman's mom "He'll be a god to them." before they send baby Superman to Earth.

2. Russel Crowe (again!): You will give the people of Earth and ideal to strive towards. They'll race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.

Thank you Russell Crowe's Man of Steel character for single-handedly making the movie appear as presumptuous as can be.

In books, i like the I's and the We's

Last night i started reading Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire, the second book to the popular book-turned-movie The Hunger Games, that is currently on-schedule for its theatrical release as well.

Although i am not exactly a big aficionado of 'pop' fiction books, especially those that have received and benefited from massive media attention and promotion (not saying that these 'pop' books are no good, it's just, well, a matter of personal preference for which i am totally entitled to, thank you), i decided to give the book a try before before seeing the movie and face the possibility of spoiling the integrity of the book for me.

And i was pleasantly surprised. Reading the first few pages, i found it actually interesting and most likely worth the reading time. How do i know it's good? Or entertaining at the very least?

It has something to do with how the author, in this case Collins, opens the book. Over the years, i came to realize that i am attracted to books using the first person perspective. So there goes a lot of I's and We's. The book has to stand upon something and come directly from somebody. I don't like it when the 'driver' of the book is also a spectator; i want to be the only spectator and not feel like there's another person watching how the books unfolds with me.

I think reading a book is a very personal thing and that the experience that one gathers in the journey of the story is very exclusive to the one reading it.

I don't want somebody else telling me about the characters dilemnas; i want to hear and know it from the characters themselves.

I don't want somebody else telling me how blissful and passionate they made love; i want to know the details first hand.

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On other news: There's a sadness that seems to have swallowed me whole today.

Terrace Grille at Marriott Hotel

Inviting me out for dinner at a fancy restaurant every month end has been sort of a regular thing now for 'the Tart', for which i am of course so sweetly enamoured by. Last month we dined in The Globe (Faisaliah Tower), a place that we have always wanted to try out and experience. Well, The Globe did not disappoint. Wasn't able to make a post about it because i did not get any one decent picture at that time.

But i digress.

So yesterday, 'the Tart' invited me for dinner again, this time in the Terrace Grille in Marriott Hotel. Marriott Hotel is quaint, first time to really go there.

Terrace Grille's ambiance is nice; i just wished they had more space to make the seating arrangements more private, i mean we were dining beside some group of Ladies, and in this part of the world, that's a bit unconventional.

We ordered Black Angus Tenderloin and Rib Eye. Mine's supposed to be the Rib Eye but i implored 'the Tart' to let me have the Tenderloin because i just didn't find the presentation of the Rib Eye delectable at all.

Here are a couple of pictures that i took. (Sorry for the crappy pictures, it was dimly purplish inside the restaurant and i never bring my DSLR when we go out to dine in restaurants because 1) i think its impolite to just shoot food pictures to my hearts content and 2) i'm not a food blogger. )

Black Angus Rib Eye

Decorative Hanging Light Unit, a bit old-ish i think.

Just a lamp.

Random Thoughts: When you love...

When you love, love fully and wholeheartedly, otherwise don't love at all.