Bieber Fever Anyone?

Ok I admit it!  I went and saw Never Say Never 3D last night with an unnamed companion (to protect her dignity).  We snuck in like tweenagers and sat in the 3rd row from the front.  People, before you judge, I wasnt much of a Bieber fan before I saw the movie and thought it would be a good documentary along the lines of Michael Jackson's This Is It.  And it was GREAT!  You've got to respect Justin Bieber and all of his management team for how hard they've worked and the sacrifices they've made to get him to where he is today.  He is really really talented, a bit immature and pampered but also strictly looked after like any 16 year old millionaire living in the limelight should be.

We had a good laugh at his female followers that are head over heels in obsession (some might call it love) with him.  There were some crazies too, fully capable of sending death threats to JB's current girlfriend and sneaking into his hotel room as maids - true stories!

I recommend Never Say Never if you want to appreciate good talent.  Commence scoffing now.

My Thoughts on This Season's 'American Idol'

When two of my top three said byebye on American Idol I thought that what started off as a promising season slowly started slipping.  Thia was my third favourite because her voice was so silky smooth and controlled.  Admittedly it wasnt the most exciting nor her song choices the most creative, but for a girl of 16 Thia showed so much talent and reminded me of those pitch-perfect singers of Walt Disney songs like Part of That World and Colours of the Wind, the latter which she belted out on stage beautifully.  What eases the disappointment is the fact that she is so young and has time to find her feet and work on adding variety to her voice and performances.

My second favourite was Pia who almost always took my breath away.  Not only was she aesthetically admirable with perfectly groomed hair and makeup, an infectious smile and personable character, but that voice!  Her rendition of Tina Turner's River Deep Mountain High actually gave me shivers it was THAT GOOD.  I guess America got bored of her ballad choices week after week and when she did finally mix it up it was a case of too little, too late.  Such a shame!

My number one fave and who I'm hoping will win American Idol this season is Haley.  Say what you will but I think she performs really really well - there's an element of sexiness and a carefree attitude that makes her enjoyable to watch on stage.  She has the ability to use her voice to do all sorts of tricks too, from yodeling to jazzing it up.  There's nothing she cant do, no song she cant conquer!

The bottom of my list would have to be that useless, arrogant rocker guy that sucks.  I dont even know his name he sucks so much.  When he sang While My Guitar Slowly Weeps I was happy that the world could finally see just how bad this guy was.  Instead, the judges praised him for getting in touch with his emotional side and for not being afraid of shedding some tears!  Whaaaaaaaaaaat?  He was crying because even he knew how bad it was!  And yet week after week he is safe and for that he is a walking miracle.

Who are your top picks?

Interior Decorating

I dream of having my own house and being able to play around with decorating it.  I once saw a piece in Marie Claire that had some amazing ideas including rooms where the ceilings only are painted rich red, and floral furniture mixed with stripes - how inspiring!  Pretty soon all I wanted was a study room completely painted in turquoise green and an entire wall in my lounge devoted to books from floor to ceiling.  Here are some other ideas:

1.  Pretty wallpaper that tells a story:

2.  French furniture:

3.  Finishing touches:

...and Dresses 4, 5 and 6!

It occurred to me after I'd written my previous post that it is impossible to choose only three favourite dresses worn by celebrities on the red carpet, so I will be blogging my other picks on an ongoing basis and grouping them together into different categories.  First up is the bridal edition:

4.  Rachel Bilson in 2008 wearing Christian Dior.  This is a fairly modest dress with lovely details like tassles in the front and button loops on the side.

5.  Olivia Wilde also in 2008 wearing Reem Acra.  Rarely do I see a dress so pretty it hurts, but here you have it.

6.  Sienna Miller in 2007 wearing Marchesa.  This colour combination never gets old.

My Favourite Celebrity Dresses

My guilty pleasure is checking out celebrity style on the red carpet.  Sounds innocent enough, but it actually unleashes a ferocious critic inside of me who somehow thinks she is this seasoned fashionista that can judge what's hot and what's not!  Oh the shame. At least these three dresses get her top vote:

1.  Penelope Cruz in 2003 wearing L'Wren Scott.  Not your usual black dress!

2.  Florence Walsh earlier this year wearing Givenchy.  The detailing and burst of orange transforms this dress into pure art.

 3.  Eva Mendes in 2010 wearing Atelier Versace: sexy and fun with a shimmering colour to match.

The only thing they're all missing is the modest edge - hello!  Less is always more people!  Oops, there she goes again.

6.9/10 for 'Just Go With It'

Grudgingly do I give this movie a 6.9/10.  I usually dislike Adam Sandler's silly humour and think some of his previous roles have been just plain stupid (i.e Click and Funny People, the latter of which I walked out of), but in this film he seemed to throw in some unscripted humour that was actually funny for once.  Ok, there are some sexual references to be aware of and it is in no way a deep, intellectual type of film AND it has a predictable ending, but as long as you go into the cinema expecting a light-hearted flick then you wont be disappointed.

I thought Jennifer Aniston was great and her body (reminding all that she is 42 years old) was way hotter than her 24 year old co-star's!  Even Nicole Kidman had abs.  Age aint nothin' but a number, right ladies?  Plus they were both funny and Nicole Kidman even had a hint of her Moulin Rouge character in there which was exciting to watch.  You will surely laugh out loud to this one folks!

Destination HONG KONG

I love Hong Kong!

It is smelly, it is wild, it is fun, it is great for shopping, it is so completely different to what I'm used to but the fact that they speak English is a relief, especially when you're asking for directions.

My best friend and I travelled there in 2009 with my brother and we had a blast.  The food was incredibe but surprisingly the nicest thing I ate there was the simple dish of kailan (also known as chinese broccoli) steamed with butter and garlic.  Yum!













The best experience was haggling at the Ladies Market and in Shenzhen mall just across the border in China.  We quickly learnt what was expected of us: fake laughs of outrage, eye rolls, pretending to walk away before grudgingly accepting their price (which was ridiculously cheap anyway).  I also found the best opshop I've ever been to on the side of the Ladies Market behind all of the stalls - keep an eye out if you're ever in the area.

Shenzhen Mall with my trusty fanny pack

Would I live there?  Yes, because it's got the city and the beach as well as great food, friendly people and plenty of work opportunities.  There is also the chance to immerse yourself in a unique culture without feeling too out of depth or uncomfortable.  Now to convince my husband...


My brother and I checking out HK at night