So, it has finally happened

Like in the Bryan Adams song - Cloud Number Nine

Clue number one, was when you knocked on my door;
Clue number two, was the look that you wore;
And that's when I knew, it was a pretty good sign;
That something was wrong up on cloud number nine.

When I saw Roman yesterday, I felt quite similar to that. I shall explain in more detail.

I was at the library yesterday, since I did not have internet access at home. Since I also needed to run a few errands downtown, I decided that I would go to the library and use the internet, and then run the errands, and then go back home. Actually, I was downtown because I went to the YMCA, thinking that there was going to be an aerobics class that I could sit in on, to see how it's run, as I'm taking it over in September. But, it turns out that there was no class, so I was lounging around downtown for a bit. (I bumped into Claude unexpectedly, which made me smile and happy. I believe I was perky for a bit.)

While I was at the library, I was able to use the internet and log into Messenger. Roman then messaged me, and when I asked him if he were free (because I wanted to know if he had free time to go and see the parade - it was Divers Cité - Montreal gay pride last night) At this moment, he said that he was, and that he really needed to talk to someone. When I heard this, I was thinking. "Oh dear... Something horrible has happened. Something bad must have happened between him and Patrick."

And sure enough, when we met for food, he told me that Patrick dumped him. Patrick basically told Roman to get out of his life. I also kind of figured this, since when I saw Roman, he had that sad look in his face. However, I guess the combination of dating someone who is still in his teens (Patrick was 18, possibly 17 or 19), and someone who is still dealing with his sexuality (i.e. still in the closet) and someone who doesn't know what he wants (possibly a combination of the two factors above) is a deadly combination. I would even daresay more deadly than a doggie that has ingested a huge amount of chocolate.

Granted, I do believe that forcing Patrick to come out of the closet was a bit selfish of him, and even though he claims to me that he wanted to help Patrick, and then in the end, if it benefited him, then it was great (which I think it's also selfish). I believe that in a relationship, if you are doing something for someone, you should not hope that there are benefits for you to reep afterwards. But perhaps this is just my vision of an idealistic concept, and that in reality, things do not end up being like that.

And of course, I realize that Roman is probably feeling a bit of heartache, and he told me that if Patrick ever realizes that he made a mistake, he would take him back. As well, he said all the love songs on the radio really bug him.

At this point, I just wanted to throw up the breakfast I just had. You find a way to deal with your heartache, you get over it. I mean, I did. I got over Roman, and sure I cried, I listened to a lot of music that trashed men, but I got over it. And in regards to taking men back... I don't. In the words of my friend Laura regarding her ex: "If he moved out of his trashy place, and got a new job, and went back to finish his high school then maybe, maybe we can do dinner." You get one chance with my heart, so don't screw with it.

I suppose it's natural to feel that if the person made a mistake, you'd take them back. I mean, after all, I felt like that with Roman for a bit. However, I gradually realized that it was not meant to be, and I just gave up hope. So, perhaps he'll do the same. I don't know, since I am not him. It's never nice to feel heartbreak, so I hope that he gets over his own feelings and/or demons as soon as possible. Maybe I should recommend the book Against Love: A Polemic to him, for him to read.

Wow, what goes around, comes around, I guess.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend

Today, I went to see the movie My Super Ex-Girlfriend by Ivan Reitman. This movie stars Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson. It also stars Anna Faris (Scary Movie 4) and Wanda Sykes.

This movie is about G-Girl, a superheroine who leads a double life as an art dealer. We see her get into a relationship with Luke Wilson's character, Matt Saunders. Things start out well, but then we see that G-Girl is actually quite controlling and manipulative. Finally, Matt cannot stand it, and decides to break up with Jenny (G-Girl). Of course, she takes it really horribly, and ends up ruining his life, through a series of actions dedicated to ruin his property and his career.

The super-villain in the movie, Professor Bedlam (aka Berry), played by Eddie Izzard, makes Matt an offer, of ridding G-Girl of her powers, so that she will only be a crazy regular ex-girlfriend. Of course, Matt accepts, and lures Jenny back. I won't go on from here, because it would give away too much of the movie.

Though this movie is not going to win any awards, it is also not as bad as the film critics say it is. It was enjoyable, and fun. It is a light comedy, where not too much thinking is involved. I believe that balance is required... We cannot always watch movies that are very serious, and requires a lot of thinking. Nor, can we always watch movies where they are not serious, and no thinking is involved. Thus, this is a good film to see, after you have seen a few hard-core ones.

Little Miss Sunshine

Today, I went to see the movie: Little Miss Sunshine. This was a preview screening, as it's scheduled to open in theatres on August 11, 2006. This movie features many actors, but one of whom I felt took on a really different role. The actor in question is Steve Carell, who has had roles in movies such as 40 Year Old Virgin, and Over the Hedge. He was also Jim Carrey's co-anchor in Bruce Almighty.

The story is about a 7 year old girl, Olive Hoover, who gets invited to go and participate in the little Miss Sunshine pageant. She receives this on a relatively short notice, so her entire family makes her dream come true by driving across the country. In this short journey, the family learns to support each other, instead of hating each other, along with other important lessons: Communication, team work etc.

There are also some important issues that get touched upon. For example, introducing a 7 year old girl to homosexuality, or the world of beauty pageants, or anorexia/bulimia and body image.

The actors did a very good job portraying their characters, but I particularly like Steve Carell (It's nice to see him in a role other than ones in 40 Year Old Virgin), and Paul Dano, who spent about 3/4 of the movie not talking to anyone. Steven Carell played the role of Frank Hoover, the number one Proust scholar in United States. He did a very good job playing the role of a "in the middle gay man".

This is a movie with heart, lots of heart, and very clever humour and acting. It's a movie that is good for families, as well as indepedent film lovers.

And on another note, speaking of sexuality, I saw a guy downtown today, with a shirt that he proudly wore: "God mad Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!". I was very shocked about this, for the following reasons:

1) The part of town I live in right now, is very close to Concordia University, and most university students I know have a more open mind set than that;
2) Most people are very open in Montreal, and thus, to see someone who proudly wears this shirt is disturbing, since it breaks the image of an open-minded Montreal;
3) The fact that these shirts were actually manufactured. And not to mention, people bought them and are wearing them.

Oh well, it takes all types to make this world run, I guess.

Welcome to the World of Academia...

Today, I got an e-mail from my potential supervisor regarding the first draft of my research proposal. Now, since I'm relatively new to the world of academia (i.e. with research proposals, etc. since I have been enrolled in the course option), I wrote one using my previous experiences with proposals and questions. However, I discovered that there were different styles/approaches to research proposals, and the one I wrote is too vague.

What I plan to do now is to read some literature on stereotyping on mathematics education, so that I can get an idea of what research has been done, and then propose what I would like to do. So, I'll get on that after I move. Since my place won't be air conditioned anyway, I can go downtown to the library, look up articles, read them, make some notes, and then type up a second draft via this method. I hope that this can be done by the middle of August. We'll see.

It's kind of bizarre, the world of academia... The people who create and structure the programs ask you to take reading courses so that you can fine tune your research question. However, in order to get approved, you have to write something that is somewhat precise, and kind of already determined. (i.e. it cannot be vague). There in lies an interesting question. If I already know what I want to research, then wouldn't I already have a Ph.D somewhere, and be doing my own research? It's kind if interesting really. Oh well, part of the learning process for me in the world of academics, I guess.

Right now, concentrating on packing boxes, and the move. After the move, concentrating on reading articles on stereotyping in mathematics education, and coming up with a more precise research proposal.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Today, I saw the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. This is the second movie of the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

There was also a clip at the end of the movie (after the credits) that many people missed, because they started walking out while the credits were rolling. Though it was a short scene, it was a funny scene, and I did a hearty laugh.

This movie is more darker than the first Pirates movie. Though the characters are the same, the actors who play them, especially the younger actors, really started giving depth to these characters (such as Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley). At the end of the movie, I already wanted to buy the DVD.

The sorceress was difficult to understand, with her accented English. Now, I know English very well, and I still had difficulty. I could imagine someone who doesn't speak English fluently (i.e. someone who knows English, but not mother tongue) having major difficulties understanding her.

The end of this movie ended nicely, to get you thinking about the third movie, and there is a new twist in the third one... I won't reveal it here, you'll have to see the movie to figure it out.

And now, onto other news... Roman was telling me how Patrick seems depressed, and that he's afraid he'll lose Patrick. I was diplomatic, and I told him that if he's not talking, maybe Roman should send an e-mail to Patrick to let him know that he'll be there for him, and if he wants to talk, he'll be there. Because this is all Roman can do. Patrick is going through some rough times, now that he has come out to his parents. According to Roman, Patrick's parents don't want anything to do with homosexuality. They do not want to know anything about it, and Patrick's parents only talk to him, if it's business. So, Patrick is a bit depressed, and he's keeping to himself.

This isn't exactly schadenfreude, but Roman is not having the best time. I also hope that Patrick will get through this, and not let his parents drag him into the mud about who he is, and about his sexuality.

Asterix and the Vikings

Today, I went to see Asterix and the Vikings. Now, since this comic originates in French, I thought that the movie was also going to be in French, especially since the website for cinemamontreal said that it was going to have English subtitles. However, I was surprised when I got into the theatre, and it turns out that the movie was in English...

The movie, however was a bit of a disappointment. It was about Asterix and Obelix trying to train a little brat to become a warrior, and all this little dude cares about is sleeping in, partying and dancing. Also, some very stupid Vikings who did not understand a figure of speech.

I also went to a Chinese buffet before the movie, and that was quite good. Although, I was a bit surprised at their sushi/maki. The taste was good, but they put a lot of rice in it. I suppose, since they are a buffet place, they just want to fill you up as soon as possible, and then get you on your way. I had some dessert and then while I was enjoying my ice cream (green tea flavour), the waiter plopped the bill down on my table. Talk about service? It's like, I cannot just sit down, relax and breathe a little before having the bill thrown in my face.

All in all, an exciting evening. And I am going to pack more tomorrow. I packed the entire kitchen (except for a few items that I will still be needing to use) until when my friend Nima called. So, I have about a full box.

Bugs and random stuff

I believe a friend of mine put it most delicately when he says, "You have all the luck eh?". By this, he is referring to the fact that I tend to end up with bugs on my food and/or in my situations... For example, I went to a restaurant once, and a flying insect was found in my red curry chicken with rice... The server assured me that it didn't come from the kitchen. Well, that's lovely, it obviously came from somewhere, since it landed on my rice... The next time I ate at the restaurant again, since I had another friend who really liked their salt and pepper squid, I found hair in my rice noodles. Needless to say, I won't be going back, which is sad, since I really liked the red curry chicken chow mein, or red curry seafood chow mein.

I barely got any sleep last night, because I found two nymphs walking over my hands... Both times, I killed them and then washed my hands, but I guess that and the rush of people finishing partying interrupted my sleep. And my friend called at 9:58 a.m., so that didn't help either. Although, I'm anxious to see my friend, so that will be good.

Yesterday, I had all you can eat sushi with Roman. And then he told me that it was his one-month anniversary with Patrick. I suppose it was at that moment that I lost my appetite. I don't really know. Frankly, a couple that counts their anniversaries by week and/or month seems a little fishy to me... Very immature. But, Patrick is 18 or 19, so that's to be expected, I guess.

Roman has also recently signed some paperwork (it's not final yet) for a condominium in Brossard (South Shore of Montreal). At first, he was telling me that Patrick and him were moving in together, or was considering moving in together (and this was before the one month anniversary) Now, he told me that he has signed for a condo by himself, but Patrick was there at the signing of the documents. That again sounds a bit fishy, considering he wasn't going to live there.

Don't get me wrong, Patrick is a very nice individual. I just think that considering moving in together after three weeks is way too fast.

And please, for the love of Pete, don't count your anniversaries by week or month!

Devil Wears Prada

Today, I went to see The Devil Wears Prada, featuring Meryl Streep, and Anne Hathaway.

This movie was a comedy, and is based upon a novel. I haven't read the novel, so therefore, I cannot comment on the effectiveness of the transfer, or if it is true to the book. However, I can comment on things in the film.

I thought this film made fun of the fashion industry, since there are all these girls who look pretty, who don't eat carbohydrates, so that they can fit into the latest fashion mould. I also think that it is a great movie about office politics... The backstabbing of people, the use of other people as sacrifice, so that the people who are on top stay on top. As well, the act of trying to get people who work under one person to switch teams, and work under another person.

The humour in this film is very clever, and I had a few great chuckles during the film. Fortunately, no cell phones went off, so that added to the enjoyment of the film. I also thought that Meryl Streep's cold appearance of the character was very well portrayed. Anne Hathaway is still a growing actress. Though she did a good job in this film, I think that she could have done more with her character. Although, I think a lot of this movie was about her looking good in different outfits.

And now, on a totally different topic. Friday last week, Roman and I went to have breakfast before I went back to Toronto, and he was saying how he wanted to move in with Patrick into a condominium in West Island.

How can someone be talking about moving in with someone on a mortgage, when they have only met for three weeks to a month? This is going way too fast, in my opinion! This is a mockery of a relationship as well!

Superman Returns

Tonight, I went to see Superman Returns. Now, I know that most critics gave it rave reviews, but a friend of mine didn't like it, and neither did Roger Ebert. So, I went into the movie perhaps with a bit of bias.

The end result, is that the film was okay, but it isn't as good as many of the critics say it is. I believe that the reason why I enjoyed it so much was because I saw the IMAX version. Now, I know that IMAX is closer to a full-frame rather than a widescreen, but since the Ebert review was not so hot, I decided that seeing the movie in IMAX (an extra $1.05) will make the experience less painful. It was because I spent the extra $1.05, that I enjoyed the movie more, because I would be waiting for the 3-D scenes.

Granted, the 3-D scenes were a little blurry. I do agree with that, and that is what many of the critics found. However, they did put a lot of emphasis on Superman on those scenes. His details really jump out at you.

Brandon Routh as Superman was only good because he looked good in the costume. He needed to have more voice intonation for Superman. What he did for Clark Kent was fine, because Clark Kent is portrayed as a boring nerd. Superman, however, is his true self, and he doesn't have to be shy and be dull to hide his identity. And Brandon Routh has nice blue eyes. That was hot.

I just checked and imdb.com and it has been announced that there's going to be a Superman 2? Oh god, already?

Ugh... And I thought it was going well...

This morning, at 4:04 a.m. EST, I found a bed bug in the couch where I was sleeping. I decided to sleep on the couch, since I wanted to make sure that the area where the mattress is cools off, as I vigilantly vacuum the couch as well as the mattress and bed frame.

I also discovered a bed bug while I replaced the carpet tape (it just appeared out of nowhere, but stuck on the residual glue), and there was one in my jeans, which I quickly threw into the toilet, flushed, and put the jeans into the laundry bag. They will be washed tomorrow or Sunday.

I'm a bit upset by this, since I thought the integrated pest management was going well. I didn't see any bed bugs on the carpet tape by the bed. (And now, I have put some by the couch) I have also been vacuuming fairly regularly. (Sometimes, I vacuum once every other day, since I'm tired, but I never see anything when I vacuum).

Perhaps this was just the one last bad thing of the week before I have a good start to next week. I hope that is the case. Or else I may actually have to call an exterminator to fix this problem. Well, at least I tried to solve the problem myself. When you yourself can't do it alone, you have to call in the professional. But I'm afraid that the bed bugs will resurface after six months... Since the guarantee is only for six months. And as well, a lot of the stuff here isn't mine, and that doesn't give me enough room to move things around to vacuum, etc.