La Verita
I am a half kuwaiti/half american girl living in Kuwait.
I am perpetually suspended in the granite hollow that fills the space between two worlds...
Not quite who I am, not quite who I want to be... Cat-lover, poet, music-nut.
I currently hold a PHD in both BS and Smartass. In short, I pitch my tent in the median of life..
Links
Picture perfect
"Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live."
Blogroll
See 7tenths run
Caff
Delicately Realistic
Diigmaa
Dr. Lost
Doug's Darkworld
Entrepreneur
Erzulie
Fallen Angel
K the Kuwaiti
Mia: Shaken Not Stirred
Miya Fushi
MissCosmo
Purgatory
Skunk
SnoCone
Solar Alchemist
The Stallion
Swair
Tooomz
Caff
Delicately Realistic
Diigmaa
Dr. Lost
Doug's Darkworld
Entrepreneur
Erzulie
Fallen Angel
K the Kuwaiti
Mia: Shaken Not Stirred
Miya Fushi
MissCosmo
Purgatory
Skunk
SnoCone
Solar Alchemist
The Stallion
Swair
Tooomz
Curled-up with..
ARCHIVES
August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 February 2008 April 2008 June 2008
Credits
Designer: BohemianRhapsody
Brushes: Inobscuro, At0mica, Echoica, Veredgf, Puzzle,
Fonts: Dafont
Image: Foto_decadent
Image Host: Photobucket
Brushes: Inobscuro, At0mica, Echoica, Veredgf, Puzzle,
Fonts: Dafont
Image: Foto_decadent
Image Host: Photobucket
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Summer Madness... Coming soon, to a Gulf Road near you...
What's with the new toothpaste flavors?? Apple? Orange? CHOCOLATE??!! Toothpaste is supposed to taste like toothpaste. Not like fruit and, definately NOT like chocolate! ewww... I shudder just thinking about it. Oh, and P.S. these toothpaste companies don't seem that confident in their new product. At the end of their commercial, it goes "At7adaak itjaribhaa!!" Excuse me?? Since when is it a good advertising tactic to double-dog dare someone to try your products? Next, they're gonna be begging us to try it...
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Why is it that Kuwaiti men seem to think that me sipping on my iced latte' is actually a request to suck their d*ck? They're such morons..
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You know that summer is here when there are more tow trucks on the road than cars...
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Here's a good idea to beat the boredom of being inside on hot summer days:
Go to the website for a university and check out the English Lit curriculum, pick out a few classics and read them over the summer. All the fun of reading without the grades part... I never found grades to be much of an incentive...
P.S. That's not meant to be sarcastic though I can see how it might be construed as such...
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Now Playing: Don't cha wanna ride? By: Joss Stone
-Layla
13:26
(9) comments
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Books Vs. Movie Adaptations
1. In Cold Blood Vs. Capote:
First things first, I must say that I am not a fan of movie adaptations, in general. I feel like watching a movie based on a novel, without reading the book first, cheapens the experience of the story and is a bit like cheating. My reasoning?
Watching a movie is a passive experience. You merely sit there and absorb someone else's interpretation of the novel. You are cheated out of using your own imagination to frame and color the story. When you read a book, you are responsible for putting faces to the characters, you are responsible for coloring the imagery and composing the sounds within the story. Its a proactive undertaking of which you are intimately tied with the author. Its more personal. No two people can read the same book in the same way. The experience you get from it is unique. Its yours alone.
For that reason, and even though I received my DVD of Capote a few days before I finished the novel, I refused to watch it till I was done. Well, I watched it last night and here's what I thought.
I thought the movie was ok, but a little shallow in its undertaking of Capote's experience while writing the book. I would have liked to see them spend more time delving into the actual research that went on. They spent a lot of time trying to illustrate what Capote, himself, was like. The truth of the matter is that Capote was an enigma and no amount of 'personal trivia' could possibly illuminate the personality of this strange and troubled man. You don't get any closer to figuring out who Capote was through watching this film. As for the other characters in the film, I felt that they kind of skimmed the surface with them. It made Capote's world seem a little shallow, although that was probably intentional as Capote seems to have been a pretty egotistical guy.
A lot of the names in the book were changed in the movie, which I found baffling. Also, a lot of the dialogues that I found most intriguing in the book did not find its way into the movie. Talks with Bobby about his relationship with Nancy Clutter, Perry Smith (one of the killers) describing the hitch hikers they picked up on their road trips, Richard Hickock (the other killer) describing his childhood.
The best thing about this film is, without a doubt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who took on the title character. He portrayed Capote brilliantly, taking on every aspect of the man's personality, from his accent to his peculiar speaking voice to his hand gestures. His performance is incredible and worth watching the movie for.
It was said that the process of writing In Cold Blood ruined Capote completely. He succumbed to alcoholism and died in 1984 from complications related to the disease. In Cold Blood was Capote's crowning achievement as a writer.... He never completed another novel in his lifetime.
Conclusion: Read the book, watch the movie, then read the book again.
2. Da Vinci Code Vs. Da Vinci Code:
If you loved the book, you'll hate the movie.
If you just managed to get through the book, you'll tolerate the movie.
If you haven't read the book, the movie will rob you of the experience.
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Now Playing: Dude looks like a lady By: Aerosmith
-Layla
First things first, I must say that I am not a fan of movie adaptations, in general. I feel like watching a movie based on a novel, without reading the book first, cheapens the experience of the story and is a bit like cheating. My reasoning?
Watching a movie is a passive experience. You merely sit there and absorb someone else's interpretation of the novel. You are cheated out of using your own imagination to frame and color the story. When you read a book, you are responsible for putting faces to the characters, you are responsible for coloring the imagery and composing the sounds within the story. Its a proactive undertaking of which you are intimately tied with the author. Its more personal. No two people can read the same book in the same way. The experience you get from it is unique. Its yours alone.
For that reason, and even though I received my DVD of Capote a few days before I finished the novel, I refused to watch it till I was done. Well, I watched it last night and here's what I thought.
I thought the movie was ok, but a little shallow in its undertaking of Capote's experience while writing the book. I would have liked to see them spend more time delving into the actual research that went on. They spent a lot of time trying to illustrate what Capote, himself, was like. The truth of the matter is that Capote was an enigma and no amount of 'personal trivia' could possibly illuminate the personality of this strange and troubled man. You don't get any closer to figuring out who Capote was through watching this film. As for the other characters in the film, I felt that they kind of skimmed the surface with them. It made Capote's world seem a little shallow, although that was probably intentional as Capote seems to have been a pretty egotistical guy.
A lot of the names in the book were changed in the movie, which I found baffling. Also, a lot of the dialogues that I found most intriguing in the book did not find its way into the movie. Talks with Bobby about his relationship with Nancy Clutter, Perry Smith (one of the killers) describing the hitch hikers they picked up on their road trips, Richard Hickock (the other killer) describing his childhood.
The best thing about this film is, without a doubt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, who took on the title character. He portrayed Capote brilliantly, taking on every aspect of the man's personality, from his accent to his peculiar speaking voice to his hand gestures. His performance is incredible and worth watching the movie for.
It was said that the process of writing In Cold Blood ruined Capote completely. He succumbed to alcoholism and died in 1984 from complications related to the disease. In Cold Blood was Capote's crowning achievement as a writer.... He never completed another novel in his lifetime.
Conclusion: Read the book, watch the movie, then read the book again.
2. Da Vinci Code Vs. Da Vinci Code:
If you loved the book, you'll hate the movie.
If you just managed to get through the book, you'll tolerate the movie.
If you haven't read the book, the movie will rob you of the experience.
............................................................
Now Playing: Dude looks like a lady By: Aerosmith
-Layla
14:54
(13) comments
In Cold Blood is a special book, for a lot of reasons. Not only is Truman Capote one of the most accomplished writer's in American history, but this book was also the first time that a 'true account' had been written up in a decidedly 'novel' format. Truman Capote was the first writer to effortlessly blend the intimacy of novel-writing with the objectiveness of journalism. He created a new genre through this portrayal of the murders that rocked a small Midwestern town in the autumn of 1959.
I am a huge fan of journalistic writing. As a die-hard fan of writers like Graham Hancock, Charles Pellegrino and Richard Rubenstein, it wasn't hard for me to immerse myself in a story like this one.
Journalism is often hard to translate into a book because journalism can be dry, most likely because it is meant to be objective. The writer is not meant to become intimately tied to whatever or whoever it is he/she is writing about. Truman Capote, through this work, provided the reader with the 'cold, hard facts' while retaining that oh-so-important human element that is often overlooked.
I found the book to be compelling, melancholy, credible and unbiased. Even though it was clear in the book that Capote had cultivated a 'personal' relationship with one of the killers (because he was obnviously obsessed with him), he, in no way, allowed that to interfere with the objectivity of the novel. At no point in this book do you feel Capote's presence, as in his personal feelings towards the case or outcome. I find that to be perhaps the most impressionable thing about this book.
Capote is a master with words. Every sentence, every word, every syllable is weighed to its core. There are no unnecessary dialogues, no premature conclusions. You can literally see, in your minds' eye, the wind blowing through the wheat fields of Kansas. You can feel what the inhabitants of that small, unsuspecting town must have felt. You can hear the gun shots, feel the fear and see the inevitable outcome. The book is weighed and measured flawlessly. No wonder its a classic and required reading in most American schools.
A must read.
Next up:
Sultana's Circle Volume 3
............................................................
Now Playing: Should I stay or should I go? By: The Clash
-Layla
Thursday, June 22, 2006
In Cold Blood: An American classic...
In Cold Blood is a special book, for a lot of reasons. Not only is Truman Capote one of the most accomplished writer's in American history, but this book was also the first time that a 'true account' had been written up in a decidedly 'novel' format. Truman Capote was the first writer to effortlessly blend the intimacy of novel-writing with the objectiveness of journalism. He created a new genre through this portrayal of the murders that rocked a small Midwestern town in the autumn of 1959.
I am a huge fan of journalistic writing. As a die-hard fan of writers like Graham Hancock, Charles Pellegrino and Richard Rubenstein, it wasn't hard for me to immerse myself in a story like this one.
Journalism is often hard to translate into a book because journalism can be dry, most likely because it is meant to be objective. The writer is not meant to become intimately tied to whatever or whoever it is he/she is writing about. Truman Capote, through this work, provided the reader with the 'cold, hard facts' while retaining that oh-so-important human element that is often overlooked.
I found the book to be compelling, melancholy, credible and unbiased. Even though it was clear in the book that Capote had cultivated a 'personal' relationship with one of the killers (because he was obnviously obsessed with him), he, in no way, allowed that to interfere with the objectivity of the novel. At no point in this book do you feel Capote's presence, as in his personal feelings towards the case or outcome. I find that to be perhaps the most impressionable thing about this book.
Capote is a master with words. Every sentence, every word, every syllable is weighed to its core. There are no unnecessary dialogues, no premature conclusions. You can literally see, in your minds' eye, the wind blowing through the wheat fields of Kansas. You can feel what the inhabitants of that small, unsuspecting town must have felt. You can hear the gun shots, feel the fear and see the inevitable outcome. The book is weighed and measured flawlessly. No wonder its a classic and required reading in most American schools.
A must read.
Next up:
Sultana's Circle Volume 3
............................................................
Now Playing: Should I stay or should I go? By: The Clash
-Layla
23:04
(5) comments
That girl is flawless and I know I'm not the first one to think that
I ran into this girl the other day. A complete and total stranger...
First thing I thought when she passed by?
"That's the girl I was supposed to be."
... I'm not even gonna begin to contemplate what that means...
2:30pm Megalomania:
You know what is one of the main reasons why life can suck a lot of the time? Its because you always think that your own problems are so much more significant than other people's problems, but then you have that instant when you think of, like, dying, hungry kids in Africa. And the part of your brain that your parents were directly responsible for kicks you in the proverbial a** and says, "Quit whining when, all things considered, you are one lucky S.O.B.!"
.. I hate that.. compare and compare alike, I always say..
Sweet Dreams (are made of the 80's):
Remember how much fun the eighties were...? People were singing about Love Shacks, Eclipses of the heart and walking like Egyptians... Bands like Soft Cell and Boy George topped the charts... Madonna was still a virgin... such an innocent time... bad hair, but altogether a relatively harmless decade...
is it just me or does 80's music just get better with time?
Blasphemy Alert!
Books aren't doing it for me anymore... intellectually speaking... I need human stimulation, which is sadly lacking in my vicinity... I feel myself stagnating, interactively speaking...
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Now Playing: Once upon a time in New York City By: Huey Lewis
-Layla
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
-Stitched up-
That girl is flawless and I know I'm not the first one to think that
I ran into this girl the other day. A complete and total stranger...
First thing I thought when she passed by?
"That's the girl I was supposed to be."
... I'm not even gonna begin to contemplate what that means...
2:30pm Megalomania:
You know what is one of the main reasons why life can suck a lot of the time? Its because you always think that your own problems are so much more significant than other people's problems, but then you have that instant when you think of, like, dying, hungry kids in Africa. And the part of your brain that your parents were directly responsible for kicks you in the proverbial a** and says, "Quit whining when, all things considered, you are one lucky S.O.B.!"
.. I hate that.. compare and compare alike, I always say..
Sweet Dreams (are made of the 80's):
Remember how much fun the eighties were...? People were singing about Love Shacks, Eclipses of the heart and walking like Egyptians... Bands like Soft Cell and Boy George topped the charts... Madonna was still a virgin... such an innocent time... bad hair, but altogether a relatively harmless decade...
is it just me or does 80's music just get better with time?
Blasphemy Alert!
Books aren't doing it for me anymore... intellectually speaking... I need human stimulation, which is sadly lacking in my vicinity... I feel myself stagnating, interactively speaking...
.........................................................
Now Playing: Once upon a time in New York City By: Huey Lewis
-Layla
19:37
(5) comments
... Now, that's what I call a trip!
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Now Playing: Underneath it all By: No Doubt
I'm in a very island-y mood these days... must be the heat..
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Dubai...
... Now, that's what I call a trip!
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Now Playing: Underneath it all By: No Doubt
I'm in a very island-y mood these days... must be the heat..
14:59
(3) comments