I just saw Sex and the city movie yesterday. And it was fine. Nothing earthshaking. I really liked the tv show more, though. My problem with the movie is that I never liked Mr. Big. I just don't understand what Carrie ever saw in him. And after everything I just don't understand why she would want to marry him.

Also, I didn't like Samantha's story line. Like Samantha putting up weight (what weight?). She just looked better and more normal. And even if she would've actually looked fatter, it's Samantha. She just wouldn't have cared what other people thought. And I really loved Smith Jerrod in the series. He was just wonderful. And in the movie, I don't like that they made him a jerk. Because he really was. And for that I like that Samantha left him, but in the series he was so great. And I think that was my biggest disappointment. I loved their unconventional relationship, but I guess it was too uncoventional to end the movie with that relationship working.

As a whole, I think the movie was watchable. I actually quite liked it. But now, the more I think about it, the more I dislike it. I definitely prefer the series. Already starting the movie with the way the book (I REALLY didn't like the book) starts, I was put off a bit. And how Louise ended up with her old boyfriend. She could've had a fabulous time in New York instead. The movie just got more and more conventional to the end and when the series was more about girls having fun together, the movie was more about finding that man. Not that I always liked the series either. I liked the beginning and the end, but they could've cut few seasons in the middle.

Well, anyway, I didn't have many expectations from the movie, so I can't say I was really disappointed.

I just read an amazing comic book. Liv Strömquist's Einsteins fru. Unfortunately I couldn't find a translation, so if you want to read it, you need to read it in Swedish. I immediately ordered my own copy and also her other books Hundra procent fett and Drift. Liv Strömquist writes comics from a feminist point of view. I mean why doesn't anyone talk about Einstein's wife? Not only did she raise their mentally chanllenged son on her own after Einstein run off with a younger woman, but she actually did research together with Einstein and didn't receive the credit from it in the end. And even though her part in the research is known, it's not talked about.

Einstein was just one small part of this book, though. There is so much more. And it still manages to be funny. I had never thought of Sting as stalker material, but then again, if you actually listen Every breath you take, it is kind of creepy. I've always loved that song and I probably still continue to love it, but I do think it's a bit disturbing. Well, I'm definitely thankful for the people who brought this book to my attention. How cool is it to find new great authors that you just haven't heard of before. I'm amazed.

On tuesday 22nd of April I was at Hartwall-areena and saw one of the most incredible concerts ever. I've been so lucky this spring. First Zemfira and now this. I mean, I know Paul Anka is good, but I didn't know that he is just incredible live!

I was with my nanny and her daughter. My nanny had actually seen Paul Anka when he performed last time in Helsinki, in Linnanmäki 1959. Of course he was at the Pori Jazz festival last year, so it wasn't as cool as it would've been if that was his last time in Finland altogether. Anyway, the show was great. And we definitely regretted for not paying the extra 30 euros for seats in 6th row. I mean, he walked around the audience. How cool is that. Anyway, we enjoyed immensely. And the new album, Rock Swings, was great. I knew most of those songs as well and they were good covers with addition of Paul's originality. And I didn't know that he had actually written My Way for Frank Sinatra. And to hear that as a duet with Frank (Frank of course on tape, since he is dead) - incredible. I'm out of superlatives. It was so good.

And to hear about his life and old buddies like Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon etc. I mean they all just hung out together and were buddies. I also didn't know that Paul Anka actually wrote all his songs by himself and also wrote a lot of stuff to other people. He is very talented songwriter and a great performer. Just as with Zemfira, Paul Anka didn't have a lot of "show" but he really knew how to take his audience. And the band was incredible. So, all and all, it was worth all the money.

I also made a promise at the concert that if Bay City Rollers ever come to Finland, we'll be there. I mean, if nostalgy can be this good...

I just might be crazy... but then again, taking the easiest road has never been my thing. Just ask my elementray school craft teacher. So, I decided to participate in Blog a Penguin Classic. The idea is that they will send you a Penguin classic and you promise to read it and post a review of it in six weeks of receiving the book. My book will be Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Italian Journey 1786-1788. I have never heard of this book before and I'm actually quite excited about reading it and expanding my knowledge. I have of course heard of Goethe.

I wonder if I can make any comparisons. I mean I've been to Italy a few times. First times actually 200 years after Goethe, in 1986 and 1988. Then again I was 6 and 8 respectively, so I might have a different perspective on things than Goethe, who - after all - was almost 40. Maybe I'll refrain from comparisons. But I'm kind of excited to read the book anyway. It will be my first Goethe.

I have a friend who is a bollywood freak. Or Shahrukh Khan freak. And it's spreading... I at least have cathced the bug. Just last weekend we had a bollywood night and we watched Shahrukh Khan's latest film Om Shanti Om. It was a bit of a parody of older bollywood hits, but even though I haven't seen that many movies, I had a blast. And of course there's my friend who can explain. A movie totally worth seeing. Although, my case is hopeless, since I already belong to the Shahrukh Khan fan club :) I joined a bit reluctantly, but maybe the first movie I saw wasn't the best. Om Shanti Om and Karan Arjun convinced me. I mean, who can resist a movie, where two main characters die almost in the beginning only to be reborn and get their revenge (and girls too...). And the translations to English are hilarious as well. Who has ever heard of anyone thanking their uncle that he took care of them when their parents expired...

One of the greatest things about Om Shanti Om is that it replaced the traditional item girl with SHAHRUKH KHAN and pain of disco (just look at those abs...):

I wouldn't mind watching more of this kind of item numbers. Well, I'm totally a fan of bollywood now. I have even started my own collection, which hopefully will soon include Om Shanti Om and Karan Arjun as well. The bollywood singstar has already been ordered and now we are just trying to find the right time for a singstar night. The virus is spreading...

About a week ago I was in the best concert that I've ever been. And I've been to a few. It was a Russian singer Zemfira and she had a concert in Tallinn, where I went by myself and had a blast. I've loved the cd's but live it was even better. For the first half an hour I didn't remember I could move, I was so awestruck. And when I remembered that I actually can move, it just got better. The new album is awesome and we heard lot of old hits as well.

When I came home I started to wonder what it is in these Russian women that are non-heterosexually oriented. I mean, how are they so capable of making such incredible music. I'm mainly talking about Zemfira and Nozhnye Snipery. I came to the conclusion, that in Russia, there is still a lot of conservative attitudes concerning women and lot of Russian pop stars that are women, tend to try to please the male audience too much. But that's so great about singers like Zemfira, she really doesn't try to please anyone but herself. And that's one reason her music is so great. She also has a wonderful stage presence, I've never seen anything alike.



So, now I know what I'd like to be. I'd like to be like Zemfira on stage. I don't know if that will ever happen, but it's something worth aspiring to. I've definitely found my idol. With this one concert she went above anyone else.

In the summer there is the tv show hiatus... I can't wait to the new season of Heroes to begin. And I have to wait till January to see new episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Lost :( In a way this is a good thing, though. In the meanwhile I can catch up with podcasts and reading and writing songs and... Sometimes I wonder if it's healthy to actually stress about things that you do for fun. All things concerning popular culture are just that for me, but still somehow I manage to feel stressed when I haven't read all the books I want or am not up to date on all the tv shows or podcasts that sound interesting.

I have this problem that I have to know if not everything then at least a lot on a subject that I'm interested in. For example, when I found the Buffy season 8 comics it isn't enough just to read that. I need to find out what else is out there what might possibly interest me. And then of course I need to also acquaint myself with all the classics of the genre so, that I can actually say that I'm interested in comics. And I also have to read some manga to have an opinion about that as well. This has to be some kind of disease or something. I wonder if I would be able to be only slightly interested in something... what a novel idea...